The Ultimate Pairing
by superfreakerz
Summary: AU. After Hueco Mundo High School was shut down, the students were forced to merge into Karakura High School. While the tension was high, a young girl named Orihime was paired with a boy named Ulquiorra for a project in an attempt to better the relationships of all of the students. Will their relationship of being strangers evolve into friendship, possibly something more?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was a warm and sunny day in the small town of Karakura. The birds chirped their melodious song while the green grass swayed side to side. Kids could be heard playing outside without any cares in the world. It was here that a young man woke up with a smile on his face. Although he worked many long shifts and dealt with a cruel boss, he found his life to be quite pleasant. Even in the harshest of times, there were never any moments he felt life was unfair. Thus, the man walked happily to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Onii-san," the man heard from behind as he turned on the stove. The man then turned around with his usual gentle smile as he greeted the little girl in front of him.

"Good morning, Orihime. What are you doing awake so early? You don't have school for another four hours," he replied, picking the small girl up and setting her onto the kitchen counter. The little girl had always loved to be in high places. He then combed the girl's messy, orange hair that was tangled enough to make him question whether or not she was trying to make a nest for the birds outside.

"I wanted to see you before you went to work," the girl answered, rubbing her eyes for she was still tired. "You always work too long!"

"That is because I have to make enough money to give you the world, Orihime. Now, let's get you back in your room and tuck you in for bed again. You need plenty of sleep to do well in school!" The chestnut haired man placed the blanket over the young girl's face, making her giggle. Placing a small kiss on her forehead, the man then knew it was time for him to finish making breakfast and leave the house before he was late to work so as to not deal with the wrath from his boss. "I'll see you soon, Orihime. Do your best and have fun at school, OK?" The young girl nodded her head with a smile on her face as her eyes slowly began to close and she drifted back to sleep, thankful she had a big brother that cared for her when nobody else did.

* * *

A loud alarm buzzed from Orihime's phone, waking her up for school. Beams of sunlight made it past her window curtains, hitting her in the face causing her to groan. Like any other high school student, waking up for school in the morning was not something the girl looked forward to everyday. Finally, Orihime sat up and turned her alarm off, remembering the peaceful dream she had the prior night.

" _What a nice dream. I miss you, Sora,"_ the girl thought as she glanced at a picture of the two of them. Her older brother, Sora, had died many years ago and that dream was one of the many memories the two shared together. The two's parents were negligent and abusive, thus, when Sora finally turned 18, he took his little sister along with him and together they lived many years happily together. That is, until a terrible car accident occurred, taking the young man's life.

Shortly before the accident, Orihime became upset with Sora for buying her hairpins that she deemed childish. The young girl had constantly been bullied and believed that if she wore them the harassment would become even more relentless. Therefore, on that fateful day, the man went to work without hearing a single goodbye from his dear sister. Orihime blames herself for this fight every day and as a reminder of her brother, she wears the hairpins every day. As the girl brushed her now long mane of auburn hair, she looked at the hairpins that she had been so petty about. In truth, the pins were gorgeous. They were a nice shade of blue and were in the shape of a flower. They also sparkled beautifully in the sun. She could only wish she had not been so selfish that day.

Finally ready for school, the girl darted out of her apartment to meet up with her friends. Orihime felt very blessed to have many friends around her, especially Tatsuki. Tatsuki was Orihime's first friend and had always helped her with the bullies at school. She had also introduced Orihime to the rest of her friends, the most prominent being Ichigo. Orihime loved all of her friends dearly but Ichigo had a special spot in her heart. He was her first love.

When the two first met, she found herself unable to stop herself from gazing into his eyes. They were like pools of chocolate that made her feel like she was drowning in sweet bliss. His long, orange hair made the girl feel normal, for they were both bullied for their hair color. Ichigo was fairly attractive as he was a tall and leanly built man. It was no wonder she fell in love with him. However, her love had always been unrequited, for Ichigo had eyes for one of Orihime's other friend named Rukia.

Rukia was the complete opposite of Orihime. While Orihime was tall and clumsy, Rukia was short and poised. Orihime had long orange hair while Rukia had short black hair. When Orihime was loud, Rukia was elegantly quiet. There were many times that Tatsuki and Rangiku- another close friend of Orihime- had to cheer the girl up because she felt subpar to Rukia. The two had many opposites, yet were very close friends. Though Orihime knew that her petite friend was the object of Ichigo's affection, she never gave up hope.

"Hey, Orihime!" the girl heard as she neared the entrance of the high school. She turned around to see Tatsuki running towards her. "Sorry I couldn't walk with you today. My parents were lecturing me about how I need to focus more on school instead of karate. How crazy of them, right?"

Orihime laughed and replied, "You do spend a lot of time at the dojo, you know."

"Yeah because I am planning on winning nationals this year! I came in second last year because that bastard Takashi went and cheated but this year I plan on getting gold! And I expect you to be in the crowds cheering me on, Orihime!"

"Of course!"

The two girls then walked to class, discussing the art homework that was due that day. Standing in the doorway to their class, Orihime's eyes quickly scanned the room for the boy that made her heart beat to such extremes that nobody else could. Finally, her eyes landed on Ichigo. Feeling a faint blush come to her cheeks, she patted her face and prepared herself to go talk to him as Tatsuki lightly elbowed her and chuckled.

"Kurosaki-" she started to say before she was shoved and fell to the ground. The girl looked behind her as she saw her classmate, Grimmjow, glare at her. "I'm sorry, I was in the way wasn't I?" she said, looking at the ground unable to look him in the eyes, though his eyes were a stunning shade of blue.

"Orihime, don't apologize to this guy! Grimmjow, you better apologize to her right now or so help me-" Tatsuki began before being interrupted.

"Or you'll what? Hit me? Imma tell you right now as a heads up, I have no problem with hitting ladies like you," Grimmjow sneered.

Then, the whole situation escalated much to Orihime's disdain. Ichigo and her other friends were about to fight Grimmjow and his friends, but luckily the teacher came in just in the nick of time. These kinds of things were always happening ever since Hueco Mundo High School shut down and the students were forced to merge into Karakura High School. While the students from HMHS were typically rebellious, the students of KHS were bright and good-natured. Thus, trying to merge the high schools together was proving to be very difficult.

As everyone's anger sizzled down during the teacher's lecture, Orihime gazed out the window. Though she was incredibly clumsy and slow sometimes, she was ranked third in the school behind her friend Uryu and some other person she could not remember. So, she found no need in paying attention to class for she already knew what the teacher was discussing. As Orihime gazed out the window, she recalled the dream she had the night before and began to think of her brother once more. He had always been so kind to her and was her hero. Sadness fell upon the girl as she began to miss Sora, thus she decided to take a nap so as to not think about it.

When the girl woke up from her quick nap, it was already lunchtime. She looked out the window and saw her friends eating and having a good time, making her sad that she missed out on it. However, there were only ten minutes left of lunch and since she dozed off a little longer than she expected, Orihime decided to stay in the classroom and study. Since it was a beautiful day, almost everyone in her class decided to eat outside in the sun. As her eyes scanned over some notes the girl wrote the night before, she found she still could not stay focused and wanted to go home more than anything and take a real nap.

"Agh why can't I just concentrate today!" Orihime exclaimed. "Maybe I really should go home… I'm not getting anything done here anyways. Then again, I'm sure Tatsuki wants to walk home together. I guess I should just-"

"Onna, would you please refrain from speaking to yourself aloud? It is quite bothersome as you are not the only one here. Your voice is giving me a headache," Orihime heard from behind.

The girl turned her head and was shocked to find somebody else with her. Near the back of the classroom sat a boy that came from Hueco Mundo High School. The boy had pale skin and jet-black hair. The only splash of color on him were his eyes, which were a dazzling shade of green. No, green is too bland. This boy's eyes deserved a better description. They were like bright emeralds that clashed with his snow white skin. A faint blush crept to Orihime's face as she realized she had never seen a pair of eyes as beautiful as these. Even Ichigo's pool of chocolate eyes seemed dull in comparison to the bright shade of jade in front of her.

"Oh, sorry umm… What was your name again?" the girl asked with a sweet smile.

"You need not know my name, onna, as I do not need to know yours," the boy with dark hair answered, both disappointing and embarrassing Orihime.

"Oh, you're totally right, my bad! Anyways, I guess I'll be quiet now!"

Realizing that her classmate wasn't going to acknowledge what she had just said, Orihime decided to take a real look at the boy in front of her, rather than drowning in his eyes. His hair was actually quite long, something that the girl did not notice before. She could also see a tiny type of ink on part of his chest due to the top buttons being undone. Squinting to see what kind of tattoo he had, Orihime leaned towards him in her seat to try to get even closer.

"Did you need something?" the boy said, knowing the whole time that she was staring at him.

The girl's face went in flames. "Oh, sorry! I was just trying to see what your tattoo was. If you knew I was staring at you why didn't you stop me?"

"I did not feel the need to at first. However, it became disturbing when I noticed you about to fall out of your chair. So I will ask you now to stop your incessant staring."

Feeling less shy now, Orihime tested the waters with him. "I'll stop staring at you if you tell me your name," she said.

Closing the book he was reading, a book that Orihime deemed to be boring and outdated, the boy let out a sigh. "My name is Ulquiorra Schiffer."

Orihime grinned and felt something similar to butterflies in her stomach as she knew she had just won. "Nice to meet you, Schiffer-kun!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As Orihime walked home that same day, she wanted to tell her best friend of the interesting event that happened in their classroom that day. For some reason, her stomach has continued to feel light as a feather and she was looking forward to the next day more than usual. She knew that her encounters with Ulquiorra were not over, she could just feel it. So, the girl with hair as bright as the sun consulted with her karate-loving friend and told her absolutely everything.

"Wow, who knew somebody from Hueco Mundo High knows how to talk without cursing, let alone read!" Tatsuki exclaimed!

Orihime giggled and said, "You know, that's not nice, Tatsuki! I don't think that the students from the other school are too bad, they are just misunderstood! They were forced to leave the school that they knew into a school that is unfamiliar to them!"

"That is true I guess. But that doesn't excuse Grimmjow pushing you today! I swear I'm going to send his ass flying straight to the moon!" the overprotective friend replied, making a fist. "I can't ever see you and Schiffer being friends though, Orihime. I know how you get with people you meet. You always want people to like you and you want to be friends with everyone but I think that maybe you should accept that some people aren't going to like you and it isn't your fault."

"I know, Tatsuki. But I really feel it this time with Schiffer-kun! I think that he's just lonely and that's why he is like an outsider!"

Tatsuki placed a hand to her chin as she thought. "Are you sure you aren't developing a crush on him, Orihime?" she finally asked.

Orihime stopped in her tracks and covered her face, which was quickly starting to resemble a tomato. "A c-crush? Don't be silly, Tatsuki, I just met him! I don't know anything about him!"

"That's what crushes are all about! Or at least I think they are. Hell, I have no more experience than you at this kind of stuff. And if it's not a crush, then how are things going between you and Ichigo?"

The blush on the orange haired girl's face escaped and Orihime was then overcome with gloominess, a feeling that Orihime wish did not exist. She had preferred being completely sad rather than gloomy so that she could just cry it out and move on. Gloominess on the other hand was a feeling of sadness that wasn't deep enough to cry it out but lasted a long time, leaving Orihime feeling drained. She was used to feeling like this when she thought about Ichigo, knowing that it would never work but being unable to move on.

Things with Ichigo were complicated. While Orihime loved Ichigo, he had feelings for Rukia as she did for him, though they were probably unknown to both of them. Their endless bickering and flirting was plain as day to everybody else, including Orihime. Her relationship involving Ichigo was much too contradicting. She was close friends with Rukia, yet found herself to be envious of her many times, which then made the girl feel guilty. She loved Ichigo and wanted nothing more than to be with him and continued to hope he felt the same and yet knew it would never happen. Lastly, although she wanted to be with him, she knew that Ichigo and Rukia were meant to be together and were actually cute together despite their arguing.

As Orihime arrived at her cramped apartment, she began to get ready for work. The girl worked at a small bakery a couple of blocks from her apartment. Although her relatives paid the rent for her, Orihime planned on paying them back one day and still needed to buy necessities such as groceries and school supplies, thus she needed to work. She brushed her long, auburn mane of hair, which became tangled during her time at school and placed it in a neat bun on the top of her head. The girl also threw her school uniform off and put her work uniform on. Though the oversized cupcake hat was a little ridiculous, Orihime found her uniform to be adorable. The top was a pastel pink button up with a small cupcake over her breast pocket. She tucked this shirt into her black skirt which came to just above the knees, showing the bottom of her smooth, creamy legs. On top of all of that was a white apron with many different cupcakes on it and in the corner was a small pin she received from her boss that said "Employee of the Month."

After she put her uniform on, the girl left her apartment and began to walk to the bakery. Though it was sunny for most of the day, the sun quickly began to set and it started to become dark. Orihime hated walking to work in the dark, yet she had no choice. She was thankful that the shirt she wore didn't hug her chest as much as other shirts did. However, this did not keep her safe from predators in the slightest. Footsteps could be heard from behind her as she walked. They seemed to be going faster to approach her. Orihime couldn't quite make out how many people were following her but she knew that there was more than one for sure. The girl was unaware of whether or not these predators were men after her body or girls that wanted to bully her as the ones she used to deal with. Though she was learning karate from Tatsuki, she knew that she would be unable to defend herself against two people. Orihime began to walk faster, hoping they would get the hint and back off. She then pretended to text people in an attempt to scare them away, yet her efforts were meaningless for she could still hear the footsteps behind, now going even faster to catch up with her. She knew that if she ran it would provoke them to chase after her and possibly hurt her, so she knew that was not the best option. She could also scream for help, but what if nobody were to help her or if she was just being paranoid? " _What do I do?"_ she thought to herself as she started to panic. Looking ahead, she finally found the answer.

Leaning on one of the streetlamps outside of a grocery store that wasn't too far from the bakery was Ulquiorra. Though she hated relying on others to help her, Orihime knew that her safety was more important. Thus, the girl ran up to him shouting, "Ulquiorra, I'm sorry I'm late!"

The boy turned his head and his eyes grew wider by the tiniest fraction as he saw Orihime running towards him. He then glanced behind her to see a group of men stop in their tracks with a look of disappointment on their faces and immediately understood the situation. Sighing, he finally replied to the girl, "I do not like to be kept waiting, onna." The grey eyed girl giggled, making Ulquiorra finally take a real look at her.

Now he understood why she was the most popular girl in this school. Although HMHS was full of beautiful girls such as Hallibel and Nelliel, their beauty was dulled in comparison to the girl standing in front of him. Her hair was long and resembled the sun in terms of color and brightness. Though grey itself is typically a bland color, her grey orbs complimented her hair even more and were big and bright, making her appear innocent and pure. The girl's lips were obviously soft and plump and her skin seemed smooth. Of course he could not deny the appeal of her body as well and found himself looking down at her legs. Snapping out of the trance the girl had him in, he realized the men following her were now gone.

"They are gone now, onna," he said as he turned around and began to walk away.

Orihime looked back just to make sure the men were really gone and then chased after her classmate. "Please wait up, Schiffer-kun!" she said as she jogged towards him since he did not stop for her. "Thanks for pretending. I was really scared for a moment!"

"It is your own fault for walking when it is this dark out. Now stop following me, onna."

"The bakery I work at is this way so I'm not following you! And I would have to disagree with you, Schiffer-kun. Walking when it is dark is not a crime, what they were going to do is. Instead of me staying home at night and never going to work, they should learn to follow the rules and be good people!"

Ulquiorra eyed the girl next to him and was slightly irked. She has now beaten him twice, the first being when she managed to get him to tell her his name and now this. "You do not need to walk with me, onna."

"Yes I do because I want to treat you to a cupcake for helping me back there!"

"I am not fond of sweets and do not want your thanks. I simply did it because I found it to be too bothersome to do otherwise."

Orihime smirked. "Wrong again, Schiffer-kun. It would've been much easier to just walk away and leave me there. But you are a good person, so you helped!"

Ulquiorra's eyebrows furrowed and he kept becoming more irritated as he talked to the girl. " _I should've left her there,"_ he thought. He took a deep breath to regain what little composure was lost and said, "You did not need to refer to me by my first name."

The girl shrugged and replied, "I figured it would make it more convincing."

When the two finally arrived at the bakery, Orihime pointed to a seat near the front and instructed Ulquiorra to sit there. She then went behind the counter and looked for a cupcake to give to him. Not liking any of the ones she saw, she decided to make one. So, she got an unfrosted vanilla cupcake and rummaged through the bags of frosting to pipe on top of the cupcake. Her eyes finally landed on a bag that was full of vanilla frosting with green food coloring that matched Ulquiorra's eyes, which was Orihime's favorite thing about him as of right now. She then cut a black cat out of fondant using a cookie cutter and placed it on top of the frosting. Pleased with the result, Orihime smiled and brought it to Ulquiorra, who was waiting with a look of irritation on his face. His eyes landed on the cupcake in front of him.

"Why is there a cat?" he asked.

"Because you remind me of the grumpy cat I see on the internet," Orihime replied with a smile on her face. She was clearly becoming more comfortable around him by the second, which irked Ulquiorra even more.

"It is rude to make comparisons such as those with people you are not familiar with," Ulquiorra stated, grabbing the cupcake and peeling off the wrapper. He took a small bite from the treat as Orihime watched with anticipation. He then placed it back on the plate.

"How is it?" Orihime asked with a bright smile. A customer has never complained about her baking before, so she knew it had to be good.

"I told you before, onna. I am not fond of sweets."

The girl's jaw dropped in both shock and disappointment. She then stuck her bottom lip out and furrowed her brows to make sure that Ulquiorra knew she was not pleased with his response. She then marched to the kitchen, ready to work her shift in the back for she had both baking and cleaning duty that night. She figured that she would just see him tomorrow and try to talk to him again then.

Once her six hour shift ended, Orihime stretched her body out and clocked out. While she did not mind working and she loved her job, it was taking a real toll on her body. The girl decided she would take a bath when she got home. Walking towards the front of the store, her eyes widened as she came upon a shocking sight. Ulquiorra was sitting in the same spot that he was in before.

" _Did he wait here six hours for me?"_ she wondered to herself as she approached him. "What are you still doing here, Schiffer-kun?" she asked.

"I did not pay for this cupcake," he answered.

"That's because it was a gift."

"I refuse to be in debt to you. Thus, since you are clearly unable to walk by yourself in the dark because you are a weak and simpleminded girl, I will walk you home to repay you."

Orihime smiled and nodded her head, glad that he was going to be accompanying her. Although she had just talked to him for the first time that day, the girl felt that she had known him for years and that she was already familiar with him. She then glanced at the wrapper on the table and reached to pick it up and throw it away on the way out. Then she realized something. He had eaten it. He ate the entire cupcake.

"I thought you weren't fond of cupcakes, Schiffer-kun," she said, turning around and smiling at him.

"That one in particular was not so bad."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Ulquiorra isn't in this chapter, sorry! Just Orihime and Ichigo but it is still important!

Chapter 3

It was a Saturday morning and Orihime had a busy day. She was scheduled to work later that day, so she really needed to finish everything else she had planned. The rest of her day was jam-packed with errands that she had been shrugging off for far too long. While the girl loved her fair share of toast and red bean paste, having it as every meal of the day was starting to make her stomach sick. She needed to buy groceries, buy more school supplies, and buy more winter clothes as it was clear that the nice weather was not going to last much longer. As Orihime slipped her shoes on, she could hear the rain pelting the windows.

" _Why didn't I do this last week when it was sunny?"_ she thought to herself as she grabbed her pink umbrella adorned with cute bunny ears on top.

Orihime had not spoken to Ulquiorra for over a week since the night at the bakery for she had nothing to say. She knew that he was not the type to talk freely about their days and that she needed a real reason to talk to him and she had none. The girl had also been too preoccupied with her thoughts of a certain orange haired boy. Though she wished she could drink some magical potion that would make her forget her feelings towards Ichigo, she knew that sadly it was impossible and the opposite was occurring. Her feelings towards the boy actually started becoming even more apparent recently. The auburn haired girl knew that projects week was coming up, meaning that the class would be put into pairs to do research on a given subject and would present their projects to the class. Orihime hoped that she would be paired with Ichigo, yet knew that the odds were probably not in her favor. Sitting in front of Sora's picture, the girl gave him her best wishes and finally left her cramped apartment to finish her errands.

As Orihime neared the grocery store, she made a list of what she was going to purchase. The items ranged from leeks and other vegetables to other things such as chocolate for when she craves something sweet. Walking through the aisles, her eyes fell upon red bean paste, making her cringe as she thought about the endless days of its consumption.

" _I don't think I'll ever be able to eat red bean paste again,"_ she thought to herself as she walked away to find other foods to buy.

Finishing her grocery shopping, Orihime started to walk to the small store a couple of blocks away that had the school supplies she needed for low prices. The girl was already starting to feel exhausted, for she had to walk to the marketplace and now to the department store while carrying her groceries. She was unsure as to how she was going to carry everything. She contemplated stuffing the supplies with her groceries but decided not to in the end for obvious reasons. Orihime let out a deep breath and was amazed that she could see it like puffs of smoke in the air but also started to regret that she had not bought the warm clothes sooner. Though her outfit did not reveal any of her skin, the fact that they were thin was causing her to shiver. Relief struck her as she finally neared the department store and rushed inside, taking a moment near the heater in the front of the store to warm her up.

Orihime was very fond of this store. It was a small shop that was run by a family that was close to her and Sora when they were younger. They even give her discounts on every purchase, both relieving and making Orihime feel bad at the same time. However, she humbly accepted their offers and was glad to have some money left over. The store had a variety of items such as school supplies, cheap jewelry, beauty supplies, and a decent amount of books. Orihime liked to look at the jewelry and beauty supplies, though she never ends up buying any of them. She made her way to the aisle with the school supplies and instantly spotted what she came for. Grabbing the index cards, notebooks and sticky notes, the girl made her way towards the front of the store when something bright and unmistakable from the corner of her eye caught her attention. As she predicted, it was Ichigo's sun-colored hair.

Before walking towards him, Orihime patted her face a few times to prep herself and get rid of the blush she knew was rising in her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, she began to walk up to him. She could feel her heart thrusting itself against her ribs as it beat with the intensity she was familiar with whenever she saw him. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, making her feel light and full of excitement.

"Hello, Kurosaki-kun," the auburn haired girl said with a gentle smile, causing Ichigo to turn and face her.

"Oh, hey, Inoue. What are you doing here? I figured you would be working at the bakery," he replied, greeting her with a just as gentle smile. His words were calm and made Orihime feel welcomed.

"I have a shift later, I just needed to run some errands first. I need to buy clothes for winter. I am clearly not ready for the sun to disappear," she said as she gestured towards her outfit of thin clothing. Ichigo then began to take off his jacket and handed it to her, shaking it a few times before Orihime finally accepted it. Patting her face definitely wasn't going to get rid of the red color of her cheeks this time.

"Do you need help carrying everything? I think bags from three different stores is a bit much, don't you?"

Before the girl had time to argue, Ichigo was already grabbing the school supplies and walking towards the register. "I'd like to buy these, please," he said as he placed her supplies and a cookbook, which was probably for Yuzu, on the counter.

"Oh you don't have to-"

"Don't worry about it, Inoue. You should learn how to accept help from others every once in a while! It's good for you!"

The two then left the department store, Ichigo carrying all of the bags. Orihime carried the umbrella, trying to hold it high enough for her tall companion, but could see him leaning down towards her to fit underneath. Their proximity made Orihime's breathing shaky as she was very nervous to be so close to him. The silence was just making things worse. She needed to say something.

"So how are things with you and Kuchiki-san?" she asked, punching herself on the inside for asking the first question that came to mind. " _Why, Orihime, why!?"_

She looked up to see a blush across the tall boy's cheeks and instantly felt her heart drop and shatter. He finally realized his own feelings and she could tell. "W-What do you mean?" he asked, trying to laugh it off.

Orihime looked at the pavement as they walked with a sad smile and said, "So you finally realized your feelings for her. I'm glad. We've all been waiting for this moment."

"Wait is it really that obvious!?"

"Of course it is! The two of you are obviously meant to be!"

* * *

In the fitting room, Orihime stood in her laced bra and skirt as Ichigo waited near the front of the store. It was times like these that the girl felt very insecure and as she stared in the mirror she had begun to hope that she were more petite like her friend Rukia. Sighing, she threw a pink and fuzzy sweater on to test the fit around her chest. Under normal circumstances, she would be delighted at how well it fit and how fuzzy the sweater was, but as of now she couldn't get herself to muster up a smile. She threw the sweater in the pile with the other sweaters she tried on that fit and put her clothes back on. The girl quickly paid for the clothes and met up with Ichigo, who was currently staring at one of the ugliest shirts he had ever seen in his life. As he saw her approaching, he smiled and was met with one of Orihime's signature fake smiles. Some days, Orihime wished people could see that it was just a smile plastered to her face so that she could open up for once. Yet she had only Tatsuki for that.

"Are you ready for work?" Ichigo asked as they walked to her apartment.

"I don't know, I'm feeling a little sick, probably from walking around in the rain," the girl answered with a weak smile.

"You should call in sick then. You can't put too much stress on your body, you know. Take a breather for once."

"I'll be OK, don't worry!"

When the two finally reached her apartment, Ichigo handed Orihime the bags, said his goodbyes, and left. As soon as she closed the door, Orihime slid to the floor and buried her head in her hands. She knew this day would come but was definitely not ready at all. She wondered if she should call Tatsuki and have her come over to comfort her, but she needed to leave for work soon and still had to get ready. Thus, she got up, put away everything she just bought, and got ready for work. Once she was ready, she left her warm apartment and entered the rainy outdoors once again, this time not caring if there were predators waiting for her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As Orihime's alarm played its delightful tune, the girl woke up and did her morning stretch. She then went through her normal routine of getting ready for school and quickly left for school. The girl was in a rush to meet up with her best friend before school, knowing that Tatsuki was still worried about her after what happened that previous Saturday when Ichigo admitted he had feelings for Rukia. Honestly, she still felt terrible and kept replaying their conversation in her head and it was driving her insane.

" _If only that magic potion was real,"_ she thought to herself.

Finally, Orihime could see Tatsuki waiting in their usual spot and ran up to her. As she neared her best friend, she was immediately pulled into a tight hug as she could feel Tatsuki rub the top of her head as if she were a dog.

"I know it's hard, Orihime, and I know you are getting tired of pretending around everyone, but please hang in there. I may not know anything about love, but I do know that there is somebody out there for you and I'm sorry but it isn't Ichigo," she said, still stroking through Orihime's mane of hair.

"Thank you, Tatsuki. I don't know why, but it feels like I'll be OK. It's hard to explain because I feel so sad… yet so _relieved._ Maybe I just needed to hear Kurosaki-kun admit his feelings before I can start moving on," Orihime replied, giving her worried friend a gentle smile. "I just hope that I don't get paired with Kurosaki-kun today for project week! I'm definitely not ready for that!"  
"Shit, that's this week! Hopefully sensei puts us together!" The two then continued their walk to school while Tatsuki discussed in great detail her newest prey in karate club, cheering Orihime up in the meantime.

Class had started rather boringly that day. All of the students were anxious to find out who they were going to be working with for the rest of that week and were disappointed to start the day learning about geometrical proofs. Though Orihime felt the urge to stare at the boy she longed for, for years, she managed to resist it and stay focused, deciding that her grades are far more important than her nonexistent love life.

* * *

"Since it's almost time for lunch, I'll tell you all what you've been dying to hear now. I would advise using your break to get to know your partners better and set up meetings outside of school because I guarantee that you will need to work on this outside of school as well as in this classroom," the teacher started, finally giving the students something to look forward to, hoping they would get paired with their friends. "You'll notice that none of you will be paired with your friends. I know that there has been some slight tension since the merging of HMHS and KHS, so I thought I would pair one from each school together or those that never really spoke to let you all get to know each other better. Hopefully this'll get rid of most of the fighting in the hallways." Students groaned and voiced their complaints before the teacher started listing pairs.

Orihime listened tentatively for her partner. She had hoped to get somebody that would be kind to her. While she had sympathy towards Grimmjow and Nnoitra, she most certainly did not want to work with them outside of school and would never be comfortable being alone with them. As she listened, she heard that Tatsuki was paired with Ulquiorra, making her jealous because she would not mind being partners with him. Uryu was with Hallibel, meaning that they would definitely ace this project, also making her jealous. Ichigo was with Nnotria, Rukia was paired with Nelliel, and Sado was with Szayelapporo. Finally, she heard the teacher call out her name along with… Grimmjow.

Orihime could feel her friends' heads quickly turning to face her. The girl slowly turned to look at Grimmjow and was quickly given a nasty glare followed by a smirk. She knew that this wasn't going to end well. Then, she could feel somebody grabbing her hand and pulling her out of her seat. Looking up, she saw that it was Tatsuki dragging her towards their teacher.

"Sensei, with all due respect, would it be OK if Orihime and I were partners instead? I don't trust Grimmjow with Orihime with great reasoning," Tatsuki bluntly stated, loud enough for Grimmjow to hear. Orihime could hear him cursing under his breath.

"Sorry girls, but the main point of this exercise is to help everyone get used to the merging. It would be unfair if I put you two together," the teacher answered, disappointing both of them. "However, if you are more comfortable with Schiffer-kun, I can pair you with him instead, Inoue-san."

Orihime felt relieved but didn't want to force Ulquiorra to work with her. She looked back at him, only to be met with piercing emerald eyes. He made no signs as to whether or not he was OK with this solution.

"What do you say, Schiffer-kun? Would you be willing to work with Inoue-san?" the teacher asked. Finally receiving a tiny nod of affirmation, the teacher sent both girls on their way. Though Tatsuki didn't want to work with Grimmjow either, she knew that she could handle herself against him and felt much better about this project, though she did worry about her grade now.

Orihime quickly walked over to her new partner, feeling nervous to be around him once again. It was over a week since the two had spoken and she really knew nothing about him, other than the fact that he doesn't like sweets. "Hello, Schiffer-kun," she said with a shy smile.

"I am unable to provide my house as a meeting place," Ulquiorra replied, completely ignoring her greeting and getting straight to the point. He did not even look her in the eyes.

"Oh, that's fine! We could study at the bakery if that is OK with you! Or at my apartment! It would be a lot quieter there, actually."

The green eyed boy nodded and finally met the girl's grey eyes and asked, "Are you going to stand there the entire day?"

Orihime felt her face turn red as she quickly sat in the chair in front of him. She was clearly no longer comfortable and was actually feeling embarrassed. As she started to calm down, the two started talking about what they could do their projects on. More precisely, Orihime kept giving ideas that were constantly being shut down by her silent partner. Finally, Ulquiorra offered a topic that Orihime did not care for much but knew he would choose anyways. The two were going to research about how human bodies react to certain feelings and emotions.

As the school day grew closer to the end, the pair decided to go to Orihime's apartment to begin their projects. The girl hoped she had cleaned the place up before she left, but could not remember if she did or not. As they walked, Orihime felt uncomfortable in the dead silence. She had tried to start a conversation before but was ignored. She didn't remember him being this closed off before. Finally, she thought of a question that he might be interested in answering. "So why did you choose to research the human body and emotions?" she asked. She then followed it up with a joke. "Are you interested in someone?"

Ulquiorra shot her daggers at the last part but answered her questions anyways. "No, I am not interested in anybody. The world is full of idiots that are far too predictable. Yet at the same time they surprise me with how they deal with their emotions. I find them to be a nuisance and can never fathom why humans react to situations the ways that they do. The answer must be located in their body, such as their neurons or something else in accordance."

Orihime found herself to be fascinated in his response, though she believed he was thinking far too much about something that she believed nobody will truly know the answer to. "I don't think it has to do with anything as simple and scientific as that," she started, gaining the attention of the boy next to her. "I think it's because of our hearts."

The dark haired boy stopped in his tracks, prompting Orihime to do the same. He then lifted one of his arms and held his hand lingering over her chest where her heart was located. "Your heart? You say that word so lightly. As if it were something that one could hold in the palm of one's hand. But my eyes see everything, nothing can escape them. What they don't see does not exist. If I tear open your chest will I find it there? If I shatter your skull will I see it there? That is how I have always lived. If it is because of what you call a heart, then it is the heart that causes you pain. It is because of your heart that you will die."

Orihime would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid at first. However, she gently grabbed the boy's hand and placed it back by his side and looked at him with a warm smile, setting a warmth in the boy's chest that he had never felt before. "You are thinking to literally, Schiffer-kun. Don't forget that you are a human too, and though you may not have experienced all of the emotions that everyone else has in the same way doesn't change that. You will shed tears, laugh, and smile like the rest of us soon enough."

Though he did not believe her words, Ulquiorra couldn't help but feel as though he had just lost to this girl once again. Thus, he snatched his hand back and the two walked the rest of the way in silence until they reached her apartment. Before unlocking and opening the door, Orihime hoped one last time that her apartment was clean. Upon walking inside, she did not see anything out of place and sighed from relief.

"Your apartment is a mess," Ulquiorra bluntly stated, surprising the girl.

"W-What do you mean?" she quickly asked, looking for any trash she had left lying around. She had found none, however.

"You have clothing on the couch although there is a laundry basket right beside it."

Orihime looked onto the couch and her face was instantly set ablaze. He was right, for there were clothing that she was planning on putting away but never did sitting on top of the couch. The fact that there was a mountain of unfolded clothes on her sofa did not embarrass her. No, what embarrassed her was the fact that some of her undergarments were on top of the pile for anyone's eyes to see. In particular, a pink, lacey see-through bra and matching underwear on top made Orihime want to run to her room and never come out. There was no possible way that he did not see them. So, Orihime did what any other person would do in a stressful situation and simply pretended it did not exist.

"What do you mean? I don't see any clothing," she said, squeezing her eyes shut and refusing to acknowledge the situation any longer.

"That is because you have your eyes shut, onna."

The girl kept her eyes shut and refused to open them until he heard Ulquiorra moving towards the couch. Opening one of her eyes, she found Ulquiorra picking up her laundry and placing it in the basket. He paid no attention as to whether or not he was touching her undergarments. This caused Orihime to squeal and she quickly ran over to grab them from him. She then threw the rest in the basket and ran them to her room, where she sat on the bed curled in a ball.

"What are you doing, onna?" she heard Ulquiorra say beside the bed.

" _I must be hearing things,"_ she thought to herself, " _because there is no way he would just come in my room without permission."_ The girl slowly lifted her head to find that she was wrong and he did in fact come into her room. Without a moment of hesitation, Orihime picked up the closest pillow and smacked him upside the head with it. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" she yelled, loud enough for her neighbors and possibly the rest of the world to hear. The boy, who now had unkempt hair blocking his eyes, turned around and left the room. Orihime could tell she had ticked him off, but she didn't care because she was now mad as well. As she was sure that Ulquiorra left her apartment altogether, she stayed in bed and covered herself with her soft blanket, muttering about how much of an idiot her partner was.

About half an hour passed and Orihime felt much calmer, so long as she didn't think about him touching her underwear. Now, she felt guilty for hitting him and driving him out of her apartment. She was sure he would never speak to her again, let alone do this project with her. " _Guess I'll have to work with Grimmjow again."_

Upon entering the living room, she was surprised to see Ulquiorra sitting in front of Sora's shrine, seeming to give prayers. As he heard Orihime's footsteps grow nearer, Ulquiorra stood up to face her. "I thought you left," she quietly said, unable to look him in the eyes. His jade eyes were much too piercing for her at the moment.

"You said to leave to room, not your apartment," he replied, staring at the girl in front of her, fascinated by the faint blush on her face and the fact that she couldn't look him in the eye. "Did you want me to leave?"

The girl quickly faced him and exclaimed, "No! I'm very sorry for getting so flustered earlier and hitting you with my pillow…"

"I do not need an apology."

Orihime stood nervously and glanced at her brother's shrine. "Thank you for keeping him company. I'm sure he gets lonely sometimes and not many of my friends think to pray when they visit anymore. Which I don't blame them for! It's just surprising to see somebody kneeling in front of his picture."

"Was he your significant other?"

"Oh gosh, no! He's my older brother! I'm sure he would be glad though that somebody thought he was young enough to be my boyfriend!"

Ulquiorra analyzed the girl's face to make sure she wasn't about to cry, for he definitely was not experienced in cheering people up. If anything, he would tell her that shedding tears is a waste of time, get annoyed, and then leave her to cry alone. Seeing that she appeared to be fine, he decided that they would now begin their project. The two started with basic research on Orihime's computer- Orihime doing the typing while Ulquiorra stood as the overseer- of how the human body reacts in certain situations that give specific feelings. Though Ulquiorra was the one to propose this topic for their weeklong project, he was not as interested as his partner. Looking at the girl's face, he could see her grey eyes lighting up when they got to the feeling of happiness. They found that four chemicals are released in the brain that are targeted by receptors to give the feeling of happiness.

Next was what causes the feeling of love. Ulquiorra eyed the girl next to him and noticed that her grey eyes that were previously bright were now dull and saddened. Being the observant person he is, he had known that Orihime harbored feelings for the carrot-headed boy in their class, who in turn loved the short, black haired girl. He found their constant bickering to be quite annoying. Why was Orihime in love with him, especially when she knew she had no chance? This annoyed Ulquiorra for how could somebody hold such annoying and useless feelings when they will never be reciprocated? Deciding not to ask about it, the two read on about love.

"It says here that scientists argue about how love is created," the boy started, "and that most believe it is caused by two hormones called oxytocin and vasopressin. It also states that oxytocin is giving during the process of reaching an orgasm, which they believe strengthens the feeling of attachment. This means that love is not an actual thing, it is just being attached and connected emotionally for the time being. Meaning that you can love anyone as long as you are stimulated through the process of sexual intercourse and that the feelings will leave thereafter. There is no such thing as love, just foolish clinginess and fear of being alone."

Orihime blushed as the topic of sex was briefly brought up. She then replied with, "I-I don't agree with that at all! Scientists think they can just explain away feelings but in reality they can't be explained! I think that love is different for everybody. You don't need those hormones to feel love, you just do. And people can definitely fall in love without doing… _that."_

"You are arguing with scientific facts? With what evidence? How are you more educated in the topic of love when your own feelings for Kurosaki are not even reciprocated and never will be?"

Orihime's jaw dropped in shock as she was just dealt with a devastating blow from her partner. How could he say that so bluntly without caring about her feelings? How did he even know about them? Were her feelings that obvious to everybody? If Ulquiorra thought he had made the girl mad before, he had another thing coming. Finally, she answered with, "As you just said, Schiffer-kun, scientists argue about this, meaning that they are not scientific facts. As for my evidence, it is because I have felt the feeling to know that it isn't something as simple as two hormones coming together. Where's your evidence, huh? That's right, you don't have any because you don't have any feelings or consideration of anyone else's. I was wrong before. You'll never shed tears, laugh, and smile like the rest of us because you are nothing but dead inside. And don't bring up Kurosaki-kun again." She then shut off her computer, stood up, and walked towards the door. Opening it, she said, "I'm feeling tired now. We'll continue our project tomorrow."

Ulquiorra walked to the door and put on his shoes. He faced Orihime and gave one last look with his emerald eyes piercing through her as if they were sucking the life out of her. The girl wondered if this was his form of shooting daggers at somebody. He then left without saying a word, leaving Orihime to go to her room and cry once again. Needing her best friend, she called Tatsuki and the girl quickly rushed over. Orihime definitely had a lot she needed to say, and though Tatsuki was a great listener, she knew that what she was going to tell her was never going to be enough to get rid of the empty feeling that has been lingering inside of her.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** If anyone was wondering what my schedule for this story was, I don't have one. I am just posting as I have time! I hope you guys like the story so far! Please review and let me know!

Chapter 5

The next day, both Orihime and Tatsuki woke up feeling utterly exhausted. After the incident with a certain green eyed boy, Orihime called her friend and was relieved at how quickly Tatsuki came to her aid. The girl explained in great detail of the event that occurred and how angry and sad she had felt. As usual, she cried in her friend's arms until she started to calm down, which then prompted Tatsuki to offer to beat Ulquiorra up. Though she was mad, the girl declined the offer and the two then ate their special go-to cartons of ice cream for when one of them gets upset and watched scary movies until they passed out at around 2 o'clock in the morning.

As they both got dressed, Orihime felt as if she could collapse at any moment but she knew that participation was a huge part of their grade this week. "I'm sorry for making you come all the way over here and making you stay up, Tatsuki," she said, releasing a yawn that left tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Hime. You know that if you ever need me I'll be there in a heartbeat!" Tatsuki replied with a grin on her face.

* * *

Orihime felt nervous as they neared the door to their classroom. She prayed inwardly that Ulquiorra had skipped that day or even transferred schools so that she wouldn't have to deal with the awkwardness of trying to do a project after going off on him. The girl rarely gets mad, and when she does it is usually because people are being rude to people she cared about. However when it came to herself, she was a calm girl that took a lot of provoking to get even the slightest bit annoyed. Apparently Ulquiorra knew just what to say to piss her off in ways nobody else could. When Tatsuki opened the door to the classroom, Orihime drew in a deep breath and peaked her head inside. Once she saw that the boy she had been dreading to see wasn't in his seat, she let out a sigh of relief and went to her seat.

" _Maybe he did transfer schools after all,"_ she thought as she waited, hoping he wouldn't come in during the five minutes left before class started. Making her even more relieved, he didn't show up during those five minutes and the bell rang, signaling the start of the class. Ten minutes went by as the girl stared out the window, wondering if she had been too harsh on Ulquiorra. As she remembered what he said, she decided that she wasn't too harsh. On the contrary, she was just too _nice_ and never experienced what it was like to go off on somebody and it was making her feel uncomfortable because it wasn't like her.

Just then, Orihime heard the door being opened and she could feel her stomach drop to the floor as a rush of panic and anxiety took over. Slowly turning her head, she saw that Ulquiorra had entered, much to her dismay. The boy glanced over at the girl and she couldn't help but stare into his eyes, refusing to look away and let him know that he was giving her so many negative emotions. She wanted to make him believe that what he said didn't matter to her and believed that if she looked away, she was going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he got to her. Finally, Ulquiorra broke the stare and began to focus on the lecture. For some reason, this annoyed the girl even more. How could he easily look away from her as if nothing ever happened?

Finally, it was lunchtime and Orihime followed her friends to the roof, glancing at her partner one more time. Seeing that he wasn't watching her, she pouted. " _How is he so OK with hurting me like that and then pretending I don't exist?"_

Once her and her friends reached the roof, they all sat in a circle in their usual spots. Of course, Rukia and Ichigo were next to each other, yet Orihime didn't notice it today. No, she was too focused on a certain boy to worry about her nonexistent love life at the moment. With her mind wrapped around Ulquiorra as she was feeling angry once again, she failed to realize that she had begun to squeeze her juice box too hard and the liquids were pouring onto her knees, staining her knee-high socks.

"Uhh, Inoue-san, you are spilling juice on yourself," Uryu finally announced, getting the orange haired girl's head out of the clouds and back into reality.

"Oh shoot!" she exclaimed as she started to dab her socks with a napkin. She hoped the stain would come out later in the washer, but knew deep down she was going to have to make another trip for more socks, for she didn't like wearing her uniform without socks. She didn't want her bare legs to be exposed to all of the boys in the school that liked to follow her around in the hallways.

"You okay, Inoue?" Kurosaki asked, creating butterflies in the girl's stomach without even knowing. "You looked like you were ticked off during class."

"Is it because of the boy you've been working with for project week?" Rukia asked. She always did have a sharp intuition. "What's his name again?"

Orihime sighed and answered, "His name is Ulquiorra Schiffer." Knowing she couldn't say the real problem with Ichigo there, she decided to lie. "We just have very different ideas for this project. But it'll be OK!"

Accepting her answer to be true, her friends all nodded and continued to talk about their own struggles with their partners. To her surprise, everyone but Ichigo and Tatsuki were getting along just fine with their partners. Since Sado is more of a quiet and passive person, he and Szayel were doing fine because he let him decide everything for the project. Uryu and Halibel argued about the topic at first, but once they agreed on stem cell research, it has been smooth sailing for the two of them. Since Neliel was the kindest student from HMHS, she and Rukia were getting along greatly. In regards to Ichigo and Tatsuki and their partners, there were obvious reasons as to why they weren't getting along. Nnoitra and Grimmjow didn't do any of the work and were very openly rude. Orihime worried about Tatsuki and Grimmjow getting in a fight this week and prayed Tatsuki could stay calm. Then again, who is she to talk when she couldn't keep her cool with Ulquiorra?

Once lunch ended, Orihime walked with her friends back to the classroom to start working on their projects. The girl wished she was paired with either Neliel or Halibel instead, but since she already traded with Tatsuki she knew that it was too late to trade again. As she walked towards Ulquiorra, Orihime could feel her stomach dropping with each step. Maybe she shouldn't have let her emotions get the best of her. Still, she did not forgive him for his blunt and cruel words so she decided to continue with her uncaring act. If he didn't acknowledge what happened then neither would she.

"I did more research on other emotions," she said, showing no excitement in either her voice or her face. "Emotions like anger."

"I see you are still upset," Ulquiorra said, not looking her in the face, which ticked the girl off even more. "You are such a foolish person."

Orihime could feel her face heating up and could hear the imaginary steam shooting from her ears as her body was being overcome with anger. However, she managed to keep her voice at a decent level to avoid causing a scene and replied, "How am I the foolish person when you go around saying cruel things you don't know about?"

"What I say may be considered cruel to you but it is the truth. It is something that humans need to hear rather than being drowned in lies to comfort them and give them false hope. What did you want me to say? That he loves you too and just does not know it yet? How absurd."

"…You may be right about that. I don't want people to lie to me to make me feel better. But I certainly don't want people that don't know anything about this telling me the truth in harsh ways. I know I don't have a chance and my friend has told me that in a nice and caring way. You and your friends, however, are rude and cold and you don't understand people's feelings. Maybe that's why you chose this for our topic."

Ulquiorra finally decided to face the girl and look her in the eyes. A faint blush crept to Orihime's cheeks which he could definitely see and it amused him. He could see that the dullness from before when they were researching love was gone. Instead, there was a brightness in her eyes from the anger she felt. He decided he liked the brightness and fire in her eyes. "Then I apologize, onna," he finally said, surprising the girl. "I will hold my tongue next time. However, do not insult me by saying those idiots are my friends. I sometimes partake in letting them follow me around only so that I may observe their stupidity."

Orihime let out a little giggle and replied, "That's not nice, you know." With the simple apology, she could feel her anger quickly dissolve. "I'm sorry for being a little harsh on you-"

"A little? I feared for my life, onna."

This made Orihime laugh out loud, gathering the attention of everyone around her. Ulquiorra found himself to be amazed with her laugh and how it brings life to those around her. He could feel the warmth in his stomach once again, something that only she can give him. One of the corners of his lips unconsciously twitched upward slightly as if he were about to smile. Finally opening her eyes and calming down, Orihime saw this tiny smile and returned it with an even bigger one. Looking into his eyes, the ones that she had been obsessed with, she could tell that he was amused. "Oh, I just remembered something! I have to go buy new socks today because I accidentally spilt juice on them! I also have work later so I don't know if I can work on our project today!" She could then see his tiny smile and amusement in his eyes disappear and his eyebrows furrowed- probably in annoyance- in the slightest movement.

"That is fine, onna."

The two then continued to get what they could done during the rest of the day. Orihime never realized how funny Ulquiorra was until today. Though she knew he wasn't trying to be funny, his monotone voice made everything he said even more hilarious. She found herself staring at his eyes and his lips to see if he was enjoying their time together as much as she was. If she was reading him correctly, then he was having just as much fun.

* * *

As Orihime walked into the bakery, the smell of baked goods filled her nostrils with delight. The girl loved her job along with her coworkers, for baking was something that she loved to do, though she wasn't able to do it the way she did at home. Though the cakes were a little bland for her, she still found them to be quite delicious and loved that she was able to decorate them in any way she pleased. As she put her cupcake-covered apron on, she immediately went to work with a bright smile on her face pleasing any customer that walked through the door.

Two hours passed and Orihime realized that she needed to make more frosting for the cupcakes. Looking at all of the cupcakes she placed on the shelf prior to this, she found that most of the cupcakes she had frosted were covered with green and black icing. " _That's weird,"_ she thought to herself. Deciding that she needed to make more variety, she got plain vanilla icing and covered the fresh batch of cupcakes in a nice swirl. She then took each of them and dipped them into rainbow sprinkles. The girl hoped her boss wouldn't notice the endless shelves of green and black cupcakes.

" _I wish I could've worked with Schiffer-kun today,"_ she thought as she dipped another cupcake. The girl couldn't stop thinking about him. The way he made her laugh in class continued to make the girl want to run out of the bakery and go find him. " _I wonder what he's doing right now."_

Once Orihime finished covering the batch of cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles, she took one for herself and enjoyed the way it melted in her mouth. The cake was fluffy and moist and the frosting was whipped to perfection while the sprinkles gave some crunch to it. She wished she could take the entire tray back to her apartment. Quickly devouring the remains of the cupcake, she went to the front to place them into the shelves. As she finished putting the treats away, she looked up and saw a big thing of cardboard standing on one of the tables. Just above it, she saw the top of somebody's head covered in jet-black hair.

"Hey, miss, can you get me a cup of coffee?" a man from the other side of the bakery called out.

"Oh, yes of course!" Orihime replied, giving one last look at the poster before rushing back behind the counter to get the man's order. As she gave the gentlemen his drink, she looked at the boy with the poster board once again and found that it was Ulquiorra with all of his school supplies working on their project.

"Schiffer-kun, what are you doing here?" Orhime asked as she walked towards him.

Ulquiorra looked up at the girl and examined her uniform. He admired how the shirt had fit her just right, unlike her school uniform, and found his gaze going towards her legs. They had always looked so smooth and soft like feathers and wanted to lightly stroke them. Looking at the oversized cupcake on her head, he felt the warmth in his chest that persisted to appear whenever his mind drifted towards the girl in front of him. " _She is rather adorable,"_ he thought to himself. Finally, he answered her question with, "Am I not allowed to sit here, onna? Would you prefer it if I had left?"

"N-No of course not! I was just curious I swear!"

"Since you could not work on our project in your cramped apartment, I decided to come to this bakery to have you work on it. I'm not going to let you get out of doing any of the work."

"Hey I've done just as much work on it as you have! My shift ends in about an hour. Would you like to come over after and work on it with me?" she asked, feeling her face get warmer for reasons she was unsure of. "It would be nice to walk home with you considering it's dark out and there could be some scary guys out there again."

"Is that a reoccurring situation for you, onna?"

"Sadly, yes. I mean it doesn't happen every day, but it's just enough to make me walk home with my keys in between my fingers just in case."

Ulquiorra slightly dipped his head in a nod and said, "Alright. Then I will walk you to work and back every time you have a shift."

Orihime blushed and felt her stomach doing flips. "W-What? You don't have to, Schiffer-kun! I mean sure it's scary but I don't want to burden you with that! Wouldn't your parents get mad that you are always out walking me?"

"Do not worry about that, onna. It is not an issue."

"Inoue-san, I need you to work the register for me so if you could stop flirting with your boyfriend that would be nice!" her boss shouted, reminding her that she is in fact at work.

The girl felt her face explode with heat as she quickly attempted to cover it. Her stomach was now doing cartwheels and she looked towards Ulquiorra to see his reaction. Though he hid his emotions very well, she could see the faint spread of pink on his cheeks and could see that his eyes were shooting daggers at her boss, who they could hear giggling in the kitchen. As his emerald eyes met her own eyes, she felt an even greater swarm of butterflies in her stomach as her heart was about the thrust out of her chest. "I-I'm sorry for that, Schiffer-kun! I-I need to go to work now so I'll just see you after!" She then scurried into the kitchen to scold her boss and shield her burning face from everyone else, especially her supposed boyfriend.

" _I will kill that man,"_ Ulquiorra decided as he continued to work on the project. " _Though, that woman's face was quite pleasing…"_

* * *

About 40 minutes passed, giving Orihime plenty of time to recover from the embarrassing incident that occurred before and her shift was nearing the end. While she was packing away the tools and ingredients for the next day, she quickly made her partner a custom cupcake just as she did the previous time he was waiting for her. This time, she placed a fondant black bat on the cupcake rather than a cat, deeming this new decoration to suit him better. Walking towards Ulquiorra, shielding the cupcake from her boss' sight, she placed the cupcake in front of him, gaining his attention. The girl then placed one finger in front of her lips and said, "Shh! I made this one just for you!"

The boy looked down at the cupcake. " _So she made this one to match my eyes once again I see."_ Picking the cupcake up, he replied, "You understand giving me this cake for free is a felony, onna."

"That's why I said 'shh', Shiffer-kun! Hurry up and eat it!"

"Why is there a bat?"

"I think it suits you. It's like your spirit animal."

"I see."

* * *

As the two walked back to Orihime's apartment, Ulquiorra found many of the men they walked past eyeing the girl beside him as if she were a piece of meat. Though he knew that she had been deemed the most attractive girl in school, for reasons he could not argue with, he had never imagined that she would have to deal with this negative attention every day. " _It is a good thing that I am walking her from now on,"_ he thought.

Entering the cramped apartment, they quickly got to work. Seeing as how other pairs hadn't even started their project and were too busy either goofing off or arguing, the couple knew that they were going to receive a good grade. They were really making leaps of progress and knew they wouldn't need the entire week they were given to finish. Inside, they both hoped that they would continue to hang out as they have been.

Hours passed and it was beginning to get very late. Orihime realized she had never had a boy over this late at night and felt herself blushing once again, something that she could not stop doing around Ulquiorra. Her eyes began to feel heavy and her body started to droop from exhaustion. She released a big yawn, causing Ulquiorra to look at her.

"It is late, onna. I should leave," he said, staring at her face. " _God damn it she's even cute when she's tired."_

Yawning once again, the girl replied, "No, I'm not tired. Stay."

Ulquiorra quickly looked away as he could feel his face getting warmer. " _This damn woman. I can't control myself around her."_ He glanced towards Sora's shrine and could feel the chestnut-haired man looking down on him with anger as he continued to stay at his little sister's apartment. Alone. Suddenly hearing the girl collapse onto the couch, he whipped his head around to face her, worried that she was sick. Relieved to see that she had simply fell asleep, rather quickly which surprised Ulquiorra, he stared once more at her face.

Strands of her auburn hair covered her face and Ulquiorra fought they urge to tuck them behind her ear. Her mouth was partially opened as her gentle breathing could be heard. " _God why can't I help myself around you, onna? Why must you continue to draw me in like this? I was completely content with being alone and now…"_ His hand started to move on its own towards the girls face. Gently pushing the hair out of her face, he began to caress Orihime's face softly as to not wake her up. Little did he know, she had woken up the instant his fingers had touched her face.

Keeping her eyes closed and doing her best not to let her face turn red as usual, Orihime pretended to be asleep, relishing in the boy's touch. The way he was so gentle and caring made the girl want to stay like this forever. " _Why is my heart beating so fast?"_ she wondered.

"You fell asleep in your uniform, foolish onna," Ulquiorra said quietly as he continued to stroke her soft face. "I wonder if any other boy has seen you in this state. It seems luck was on my side today… That couch must be uncomfortable. Your back will ache if you continue to sleep on this couch. I hope you do not get upset with me for going to your room once again."Just then, she felt one of Ulquiorra's hands slip underneath her back while the other was under her leg. "Your legs are soft, just as I had predicted."

He then lifted her carefully off of the couch, trying his best not to wake her up, unknowing that she had been very awake the entire time. The girl continued to pretend and fight the upcoming blush from spreading across her face. Finally, he placed her on the bed and stroked her face just once more. "I wish I could see you like this more often, onna. You truly are breathtaking."

Orihime lied in bed and waited for him to say something else but was disappointed to hear her bedroom door close along with her front door a few moments later. She sat up and tried to control her breathing, but she just couldn't do it. Her heart was beating faster than it ever had before and she wondered if she should call Tatsuki and tell her what had just happened. Coming to the conclusion that her best friend would kill Ulquiorra if she told her, she decided to lay back down and replay the situation over and over again in her head. " _He didn't do anything to me… I'm sure other boys would've taken advantage of that situation, but he didn't… My heart is beating so fast. I've never felt like this before… What is happening to me?"_


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:** So, I realize that this story moves along very fast, which my other stories usually don't. I don't know why I'm writing it the way I am but hopefully it turns out alright haha. Please review! :)

Chapter 6

As Orihime woke up the next morning, her mind continued to replay the night's previous events on repeat. Brushing her tangled hair, the girl was reminded of how Ulquiorra had caressed her face as he pushed back her hair. Her face was beginning to resemble a tomato in color and she knew that it would be hard to control her emotions around the boy that was making her heart lurch out of her chest. The girl didn't even understand these emotions herself!

Leaving the house, Orihime thought about if she should tell Ulquiorra she was awake the entire time. It would be wrong to not let him know she heard him say such personal things, but she knew that she would die from embarrassment confessing that she pretended to be asleep as he lightly stroked her skin. " _You truly are breathtaking,"_ she heard him say once again in her head. The girl's stomach felt light as she remembered what he said. Though she had always been receiving "love" confessions from the boys at her school and was constantly being called beautiful, none of them made her feel the way she did at that moment. Though Orihime didn't understand her own feelings, much less those of Ulquiorra's, she did know that all she wanted then was to see the boy occupying her mind. Thus, she quickened her pace and scurried off to school.

Arriving outside the classroom, Orihime stopped in her tracks before going in. She pulled out her phone and checked her hair, making sure that there were no strands out of place. The girl even applied a coat of shiny lip gloss to make her lips appear more plump and pink. " _Why am I going through all of this trouble just to see Schiffer-kun?"_ Finally opening the door, she peaked her head in and was thrust into disappointment to find that the boy she had been longing to see wasn't in his seat. " _Maybe he's going to be absent today,"_ she thought, considering he had always beaten her to school.

"Onna, you are in my way," she heard from behind, making her heart beat fast once again. Her face began to gain warmth as she turned around to face Ulquiorra. "Would you please refrain from standing in the doorway?"

"Oh, uhh, s-sorry, Shiffer-kun!" Orihime said, her face in flames. She wanted to say so much more yet the words were not coming to her. Staring into the emerald eyes in front of her, she felt herself wanting to stay like that forever. Unable to think of anything to say, the girl darted to her desk and buried her head in her arms as she lay in embarrassment. Ulquiorra stared at the girl for a while, knowing that something was wrong and that she had something she wanted to say but decided to give her time to think instead of going up to her.

The teacher's lecture was short today, much to Orihime's disappointment. The girl still did not know what to say for she did not know what she felt. She had never felt like this before and it was bothering her. As she walked towards her partner, she refused to look him in the eye for she knew that she would blush and get embarrassed if she did. "I think we can finish our project today," Orihime started, "I don't have work so that gives us the entire day after school." She then began to doodle a bat in her notebook so as to not look in Ulquiorra's eyes.

"Onna, what is wrong?" the boy bluntly asked. "Why do you refuse to look at me?"

The girl looked up at him in surprise. She could see confusion in his eyes and could tell she was worrying him. If the girl had known any better, she might have seen a hint of sorry as well. "I'm sorry, Shiffer-kun. I'm just a little embarrassed…"

"What for, onna?"

Orihime's face was getting warmer by the second as she clenched the bottom of her skirt. She took in a deep breath and then released, preparing herself to confess what she had been dreading that entire day. "Do you remember last night? Of course you do, you are smart and have a great memory. Anyways, well, I uhh…"

"Spit it out, onna."

"I was pretending to be asleep last night and I heard you… I heard you say everything before you left…" The girl slowly looked up to meet the boy's gaze. She was surprised to see that he did not look mad. Instead, his eyes were passive and showed no emotion to what she had just said.

"I see," he dully replied. "Is that all?"

"Y-Yes."

"Why did you pretend to be asleep?"

"I-I don't know…"

"Did what I say bother you or make you feel uncomfortable?" Orihime could then see without any doubt in his eyes that he was hurt.

"N-No! It's the opposite actually… I don't exactly know how to describe it but it made my tummy feel warm and light… It made me happy to hear you say those things."

Just then, the girl could see the sadness leave Ulquiorra's eyes and a faint blush begin to spread across his face. The feeling of embarrassment started to leave Orihime and instead was full of confusion and the warmth was back in her stomach. Why did she feel like that? As she gazed into the boy's eyes, she felt herself drawn to him. She wanted to be closer.

As school ended, the two finally began to walk to Orihime's apartment in silence. There was a gentle breeze as the sun was slowly starting to set. There were no birds chirping or kids playing, making the silence even more deafening. It was at this time that Ulquiorra began to think of what his partner had told him earlier in class.

" _I am such a fool,"_ he thought, " _thinking that she would stay asleep as I touched her. How could I be so stupid? Now she feels uncomfortable with me… Then again, she did say it made her happy… God damn it this girl is making my life much more complicated than it was before. Why couldn't she just stop me before I said all of that nonsense?"_

When the two reached the apartment, they quickly got to work without saying anything that wasn't absolutely necessary. As their project was quickly coming to an end, the two were now writing all of their research onto the poster. Ulquiorra was stuck copying the research about love. He skimmed through the notes about how the body reacts to love to see which bullet points they could omit and which were the most important. " _Rushed beating of the heart, tingling or warmth in the stomach, constant craving to be around the other person, increased sexual desires, and the feeling of being close to somebody…"_ he thought as he looked up at Orihime. It finally clicked. " _I see… I am in love with this girl."_

Orihime felt Ulquiorra staring at her and met his gaze. "Did you need something?" she politely asked with confusion.

"Onna, why do you love him?" the boy bluntly asked. As he could see the rush of pink spreading on the girl's face, he refused to break their gaze.

"W-Why are you asking?"

"Just answer, onna."

"…I'm not really sure, to be completely honest. Maybe it's because he's the first boy I've ever talked to that didn't make me feel uncomfortable. He actually saw me as a person with feelings and a personality instead of just my appearance."

"So you love him because he is the first male to treat you like that?"

"I guess."

"I see. Meaning that if another were to come and treat you like that you may fall in love with them instead?"

"I-I don't know. Ishida-kun and Sado-kun treat me the same way but they don't make me feel the way I do about Kurosaki-kun… After I found out that Kurosaki-kun was there to try and save my brother after his accident is when I found out I was attached to him."

Ulquiorra remembered the bullet points on how the body reacts to love. He realized that she had shown all of those things, except for sexual desires- considering it was Orihime after all- for himself. There was no doubt in his mind that she felt the same about him and was simply unaware of it. "Do you still love him, onna?"

Orihime questioningly stared into his eyes. Why is he asking all of these questions? She then looked at her lap, unable to keep holding their gaze. "I-I do."

"Look me in the eyes, onna, and tell me that."

The girl looked at him with surprised eyes. "I-I can't."

"I see. I believe that is because you know that you do not love Kurosaki, Ichigo and are instead convinced that you are because you have never had any valid experiences with a male before." Ulquiorra stared into the gray eyes in front of him, watching them grow in size even more. "Anyways, I am almost finished with the love section. I will begin the section about sadness after."

" _They do go hand in hand after all,"_ he thought as he could feel Orihime continuing to stare at him, speechless. He knew that she was beginning to register what he had said and knew that she wasn't arguing with him on this because she was finally starting to realize it. She was no longer in love with Ichigo. She never was. Instead, she was deeply infatuated with him because he was the first to treat her like a human being rather than a piece of meat. " _The onna loves me, I am sure of it. However, I will wait for her to realize her feelings for herself. I will wait as long as I must."_


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:** I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Grimmjow makes another appearance!

Chapter 7

It was a cold morning in Karakura town as a swift breeze whistled by. Though Ulquiorra usually wanted nothing more than to stay locked in his room under the warm covers, he was somewhat excited to leave the house that he refused to call home and go to school. The dark-haired boy realized his new feelings towards school had manifested after he met the girl that constantly invaded his mind, occupying his every thought. The girl that he had finally realized he loved: Orihime.

As he promptly got ready for school, he began to replay what had happened the night before while he was at Orihime's apartment. He had just informed the girl that she was not in love with Ichigo. Ulquiorra knew that his partner was going to need some time to adjust, just as he did. He had never felt love towards anyone except for one person, and they had vanished from the Earth many years ago. His heart hadn't felt real emotion in years and these new feelings he was being forced to feel by Orihime continued to confuse him, though he did finally find out that it was simply love. Yes, just as he needed to adjust to his new gained feelings towards Orihime, she needed time to adjust her lost feelings for Ichigo. The girl had loved him for years now, it was no wonder why all of this would be hard to take in. However, although Ulquiorra wasn't going to bluntly state what the orange-haired feelings for him were, that didn't mean he wasn't going to begin making his own feelings apparent.

"Ulquiorra, breakfast is ready!" his stepmother, Kyoko, called from the kitchen downstairs. The boy cringed when he heard her voice, just as he did every time she spoke. Kyoko was a shorter woman in her mid-forties with shoulder length dark-brown hair. Her eyes were big and brown and her smile was always warm and inviting. She had been married to his dad for a little over ten years and Ulquiorra had still never said more than three words altogether with her. Kyoko was a nice lady and deep down Ulquiorra knew this, yet he would never be able to accept her. After all, replacing the one person he had loved- before Orihime came along, of couse- came with clear consequences. Thus, Ulquiorra was cold and distant to her just as he was with everybody else.

When the boy finished getting dressed and packing his bag full of his supplies, he swiftly walked downstairs to receive his breakfast. Though he hated to admit it, his stepmother had made the best food he had ever tasted. When he saw that there was nothing but scrambled eggs and a lousy piece of toast on his plate, the corners of his mouth turned downwards into a slight frown. "What is this?" he asked, not looking her in the eyes.

"Sorry, Ulquiorra! I have to rush to work this morning so I couldn't make your favorites! I know it's a little bland but it's just one day, I promise. Here's a little tip for your toast though: add some red bean paste to it and it'll give it all of the flavor it needs," his stepmother answered, grabbing her briefcase and heading towards the door. "I have to go now. Have a nice day in school, Ulquiorra! I love you!" Her brown orbs stared into Ulquiorra's green orbs, hoping that today would be the day she had been waiting for. The day when he would finally return the three sacred words. Realizing her stepson wasn't going to acknowledge her anymore, Kyoko sighed and left the house.

Ulquiorra thought about what his stepmother advised and gathered the red bean paste from the kitchen. Inspecting it, he was instantly reminded of a certain orange-haired girl that absolutely loved eating this stuff with _anything._ He then began to see how similar the two girls in his life were. Both had strange tastes in food- though Kyoko refrained from eating any of it because she knew making it would not satisfy Ulquiorra's taste buds. They were also kind to him even when the rest of the world wasn't. They both continued to treat him like a human being even though he had pushed them away and treated them like garbage. " _Maybe I will indulge in a conversation with that lady one day,"_ he thought as he ate his bland food.

Once he was ready for school, the dark-haired boy left his house, locking the door on the way out. His house was relatively big and was very elegant looking. The white paint was crisp on the wood and none of it seemed to be chipping away. The colorful flowers swayed in the harsh breeze, threatening to be ripped from the soil and fly away. The gold accents of house made it appear regal and flaunted his parent's money. Though it was a nice house, he had never considered it his home and knew that he never will.

After his mother died when he was a young boy, Ulquiorra's father met Kyoko a little short of a year later. The two quickly got married and decided to move into a new house. The green-eyed boy replayed the memories of him attempting to run away after hearing that they were moving away from the house he shared with his mother, the only person that he had ever loved dearly. Since then, Ulquoirra rarely spoke to his father for matters that were not necessary to discuss, and though his father did understand the pain his son had felt, he soon began to believe that he was overreacting. Thus, the two of them had a strained relationship that would be nearly impossible to fix.

Walking to school, Ulquiorra realized that there was _one_ place in particular that he wouldn't mind calling his new home. Though it was small, cramped, and usually a mess, the boy genuinely enjoyed the time he spent in Orihime's apartment. He knew that the main reason was because Orihime was there, but there was something different. It was like he was able to drop the guard or protective shield he had been using and was able to _relax._ Though he still masked his emotions in Orihime's apartment- or at least tried to- he knew that he felt the most comfortable there than he had anywhere else in years.

Finally reaching the classroom, he sat in his seat, waiting for a certain girl to come in roughly ten minutes later. This was the routine. Ulquiorra would arrive, inwardly excited to see Orihime, and then be annoyed at how slow she was to get there. The boy was always the first in the classroom as well, giving him some time to relax and enjoy the calm serenity the room had to offer when Grimmjow or Nnoitra weren't there to yell stupid things. To his surprise, he heard footsteps approaching the doorway. Nobody ever arrived this early other than Ulquiorra. Hoping it was Orihime, the boy watched the doorway, waiting for whoever it was to enter. He was very disappointed when his eyes saw a head of bright blue hair.

"Oi, Ulquiorra. Why are you here so damn early," Grimmjow asked, ignoring the obvious annoyance on the other boy's face.

"That is none of your business, Grimmjow. What are _you_ doing here this early? You usually do not arrive until class starts," he replied, rubbing his temple with two fingers. It was too early to be dealing with his… _friend._

"That damned Ichigo has been getting on my nerves this week about this dumb project. I swear he's driving me fucking insane! So I decided I'm gonna put clear glue over his seat and stick gum under his desk."

The dark-haired boy sighed. There goes the peacefulness of his morning. "You are an idiot as usual I see."

"Shut up and get over here. It'll get done faster if you help me with this," his blue-haired friend replied, tossing him a pack of gum.

Though Ulquiorra could rarely handle Grimmjow, he could not deny that he was his first friend at Hueco Mundo High School. In fact, Grimmjow was the first one to come up to him- though it was to fight him because apparently he wasn't fond of Ulquiorra's expressions. Of course, the blue-haired boy lost that fight and the two eventually became friends, though neither of them would admit it. Sometimes Grimmjow would follow Ulquiorra around and the dark-haired boy would watch him partake in reckless pranks or fowl behavior.

The boy with dazzling emerald eyes then looked at the pack of gum on his desk. It was minty, the only kind he would chew, though he rarely did. Usually when Grimmjow did something like this, Ulquiorra would simply watch, slightly amused. However, when he thought about how Ichigo had been the one to cause the girl he loved pain for the last few years, he opened the pack, got a single piece of gum, and began to chew. " _I guess it wouldn't hurt to join in this one foolish activity with this idiot,"_ he thought as he chewed and walked towards the desk where his friend was already sticking his first piece of gum underneath the wooden desk. Ulquiorra then did the same. The two continued to chew gum and press it under Ichigo's desk in silence. That is, until Grimmjow finally decided to talk, ruining the peacefulness of the room once again.

"So how are you and the little princess yet?" he asked, gathering the silent boy's attention. "You guys fuck yet?"

"Grimmjow, you disgust me. Do not speak like that about her," Uquiorra answered, taking a break from chewing gum. His jaw began to hurt around the fourth piece.

"Fine, fine. You guys _dating_ yet then?"

"Of course not."

"Why not?"

"Why would we?"

"Because, dumbass, it's obvious you got a thing for her."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, fool."

"Please. Don't act like I don't see you staring at her 24/7. I know you, Ulquiorra. I know when you let people in, even though you are usually just some silent freak in the back. It's clear she at least interests you."

"…Fine. I guess I do have some… _feelings,"_ the boy admitted. Though he was able to admit that he had feelings for Orihime, he was not able to say the word "love" aloud yet.

"Have you told her?"

"Of course not. It's clear she thinks she is still in love with Kurosaki."

"Oh yeah I forgot all about that! That's why you are helping me do this, huh!?" Seeing that his friend wasn't going to acknowledge what he had just said, Grimmjow continued. "She's just as fucking dumb as you then. It's obvious she's got a thing for you! Both of you need to grow some balls already!"

"I am waiting for her to realize it on her own."

"Yeah, well, better hope she does sooner than later."

"…Why?"

"Because I stole Ichigo's phone the other day and read all of his texts. Looks like him and the short girl are having a thing. Sooner or later they are going to announce it and it's gonna break the poor princess' heart."

"…I see."

Once the entire bottom of Ichigo's desk was covered in both minty and fruity gum, a couple other classmates started to enter the classroom. Ulquiorra calmly walked back to his seat as if their presence did not matter- which to him it truly didn't. Grimmjow sent the poor kids nasty glares as to ensure they wouldn't snitch. Looking at the clock and seeing that everybody else should start flooding in soon, he got out his clear glue and poured the remnants onto the seat. The blue-haired prankster then scurried to his seat, anticipating Ichigo's arrival. With much anticipation, the orange-haired teen soon arrived and after bickering with Rukia- something about what movie they were going to watch that night- he finally sat in his seat, unaware that he wouldn't be able to get back up in time. I guess you could say he was in a _sticky situation._

While Ulquiorra felt triumphant in his plan with Grimmjow, he was not nearly on the same level as his friend. Grimmjow was hunched over as if he was in dire pain and was laughing hysterically. Soon Noitra joined his friend in laughter after being filled in on what new shenanigans he was up to. " _Idiots,"_ the emerald eyed boy thought to himself despite the fact that he was glad their immature plan worked. His gaze then went to the door and stayed glued onto it like the glue on Ichigo's rear and the chair. " _The woman is late today. She should be here by now."_ Finally, the girl occupying his thoughts finally entered and the boy was disappointed to find her glance towards Ichigo. " _It is times like these that I am glad to be acquainted with Grimmjow."_

As Orihime walked towards her desk, her gaze was still locked onto the boy that she has had a crush on for years. " _Is Ulquiorra right? Do I not love him anymore?"_ she thought to herself. This thought hadn't left her brain since the night before when Ulquiorra suggested it. The girl's head drooped as she began to feel glum. She did not like not knowing how she felt. How could she not love Ichigo? Their connection was strong and she's loved him for years. How could she move on and not know? It was too unbelievable to be true. "… _Yet why is it that when I look at him my heart doesn't long for him anymore?"_ She then realized that it was true. Her body hadn't ached to be touched by him. She no longer wished he would embrace her. No longer did she wish he would run up to her like she would see in the movies and confess his love to her. Not even her dreams featured Ichigo romantically anymore. " _This is all I wanted. To move on... So why don't I feel good about it?"_

The girl felt guilty for reasons she was unsure of. The two of them weren't together or anything and it's not like Ichigo was confessing his love to her any time soon, so why did she feel like this? Like she shouldn't move on? Was it because all of the time she spent wishing he would be hers? Or could it be that it was because there was somebody else in her life and she felt bad no longer loving Ichigo but loving this guy instead? The last question lingered in the girl's thoughts. Thinking of who else she could possibly love, Orihime's head uncontrollably turned to face Ulquiorra.

She then stared at him and watched as he swiftly took notes of the lecture- something that she should be doing as well, yet just couldn't force herself to. His hand was elegant and quick. His jet black hair covered part of his eyes, but luckily not all of it, for she could still see the beautiful jade she was in love with. " _Wait in love? No, that can't be right."_ Once again, she could see a little bit of a tattoo underneath his shirt thanks to one button being undone. She wished she could see it completely as she became more curious as to what it was. Finally, her eyes locked onto his once again and it was like a wave of awe overcame her. It was as if she was staring into the heart of a jungle. While she lost her train of thought in Ulquiorra's eyes, she replayed the events from when she pretended to fall asleep. Orihime's heart began to beat faster just thinking about it and her face gained warmth. "Maybe I love-"

"Inoue-san?"

The girl's head whipped towards the teacher as her face went into flames. "Y-Yes?"

"Did you have a question?"

"N-No! Not at all! Sorry!"

The class began to laugh at her and the girl laughed as well, hoping that everybody would believe she was just daydreaming again. " _Please tell me nobody heard that. Especially…"_ Orihime turned her head ever so slowly to face the boy she really hoped hadn't heard her, though she was lucky enough to be interrupted by their teacher before she said his name. As she looked towards Ulquiorra, she was shocked- and a little embarrassed of course- to find him already staring at her. " _Shoot, maybe he knows what I was thinking!"_ She refused to look away, fearing that it would make it even more obvious. Soon, the pink on her cheeks began to fade away and the two simply stared at each other in content. " _I see… Maybe I do love Ulquiorra."_


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** Hi guys! Please make sure to review with each chapter to let me know what you guys think! :)

Chapter 8

Ulquiorra would be lying if he said he was unaware of Orihime's persistent staring. He would also be lying if he said he hadn't heard what she was saying. The boy was irritated when the teacher interrupted her. What if she was going to say she was in love with him? What if she was finally coming to terms with her feelings? While he knew that he would be willing to wait years for this girl, he wanted nothing more than her to find out already. The longing to hold her was killing him.

Hours passed since the stare-down between Orihime and Ulquiorra. The girl was still stuck in a trance of confusion about her feelings. I mean, it is hard to believe she had gotten over her crush of three years for somebody she had only known for two weeks. They hadn't even _really_ been talking for a whole week. Yet she still found herself wondering if it was possible. Thinking of the symptoms of love, which she learned from their project together, she realized she could mark off every symptom, except for the sexual one of course. " _There you go! That means I don't love him!"_ she assured herself as she heard the bell ring, signaling it was time for lunch. As she got up and was about to walk towards her friends for lunch, she heard a familiar voice call out to her, which sent a rush of butterflies throughout her stomach, which then prompted her to wonder if all of the symptoms needed to be true to be in love.

"Onna," she heard from behind.

Before turning around to face that man that was driving her insane with confusion, the girl patted her cheeks in an attempt- a failed attempt- to hide the blush spreading on her cheeks. Finally, Orihime turned around and replied with, "You really should start calling me my name instead of that."

Ulquiorra grunted in reply. "Fine, _Inoue._ "

Orihime quickly regretted what she had said for when she heard him finally regard her as something besides "Onna", her blush intensified. "Y-You can call me Orihime if you want…" She could see the boy's eyes widen in the slightest way before he turned to look in a different direction. "Anyways, did you need something? We are pretty much done with our project now."

"Would it be strange of me to be in your presence without working on our assignment?"

"N-No not at all! It's just that you never really hang out with me when we aren't!"

"Never mind that. Eat your lunch with me outside."

The girl had gotten used to everything coming out of Ulquiorra's mouth like a demand. She was just happy that he actually _wanted_ to spend time with her. Maybe this could help her figure out her own feelings.

Just then, she heard Ichigo yell out, "What the hell is this!?" Turning to face him, she was shocked to see his chair stuck to his rear end. She could then hear hysteric laughing coming from the other side of the room. Grimmjow. Of course. "Grimmjow, I'm going to fucking murder you!" The orange haired boy then gripped his desk in an attempt to flip it over due to his rage but the feeling of something sticky stopped him and sent a shiver up his spine. Quickly retreating his hands from the desk, he bent over- which was hard with the chair stuck to him- and saw many pieces of gum spread underneath it. "GRIMMJOW!"

"That's what you get, you fucker!" the blue haired boy shouted across the room. "Maybe next time you'll keep that damn mouth of yours shut!"

The yelling continued as Ichigo began to lose his cool completely. "Rukia! Get this damn chair off of me!"

"I can't. It's super glued," the petite girl replied, despite her efforts to remove it.

"Just rip it off I don't care anymore!"

The girl shrugged and did as she was told, ripping the chair off. Consequently, part of Ichigo's pants came with the chair and there was a hole exposing his gray boxers. Orihime's face was flushed, which irked Ulquiorra. He didn't want her to see that at all. " _Maybe I shouldn't have let Grimmjow do this."_

Orihime covered her now red face. Though she knew she was no longer in love with Ichigo, that definitely didn't mean that seeing his underwear wouldn't make her blush. Seeing _any_ boy's underwear would make her blush. Finally, she felt a tug on her sweater and she peeked at Ulquiorra, who kept one hand in his pocket while the other was still tugging her sweater.

"Do not look, onna," he said, not breaking eye contact just to make sure she wouldn't look. "Let's go." With that, the two made it out of the classroom as Ichigo and Grimmjow were tangled on the floor wrestling. Orihime hoped Ichigo wouldn't get hurt or in trouble but continued to follow Ulquiorra, who was holding her wrist gently leading the way. He looked back at the girl to check up on her as they walked and caught her staring at his hold on her wrist. He did not miss the faint spread of pink on her face. " _This is your chance,"_ he thought to himself. Looking forward once again, he loosened his grip on the girl's wrist and slowly made his way to her hand. He then intertwined his fingers with Orihime's, who at first was too surprised to do anything and instead let her own fingers dangle. Finally, however, she closed her fingers and held his hand, which sent a great warmth throughout Ulquiorra's body as he felt triumphant.

Nearing a tree outside, Ulquiorra leaned his back against it and stared at the girl in front of him, both of them still holding the other's hand. He could see that she was too shy and embarrassed to make eye contact with him. " _Maybe I should let go,"_ he thought. While the small tessellation of their hands was incredible, he did not want to make Orihime feel uncomfortable. Thus, he loosened his grip and began to pull back his hand when suddenly he felt Orihime's grip tighten. The two stood in silence, each not wanting the embrace to end. Yet sadly, all good things must come to an end eventually. Slowly, Ulquiorra could feel Orihime's grip start to loosen as she finally let go. Wanting to get rid of the awkward silence- which is something Ulquiorra typically never bothers with- he finally asked the girl, "So what did you bring for lunch, onna?"

"Schiffer-kun, I told you to call me by my name, remember!" Orihime exclaimed, waving a finger in the air to emphasize his mistake.

"My apologies, _Orihime,_ " he replied, unable to look the girl in the eyes. Saying her name was much too familiar for him. However, he figured that if he was going to call her by her first name, she should refer to him by his first name as well. "You may refer to me as Ulquiorra then."

Much to Ulquiorra's surprise, a wide smile graced the auburn-haired girl's face as her eyes began to sparkle like never before. "Really, I can?" she asked surprised. Was being able to call him Ulquiorra that important to her?

Ulquiorra was deeply fascinated by this and watched the girl happily plop onto the grass and pull out her lunch. The cool breeze caused the girl's orange strands of hair to fly in her face as she tried almost desperately to take one bite of her food. Clear frustration was apparent because of this, so she got out a hair tie and put it into a big bun on top of her head. A couple of baby strands stayed swaying and untied but it didn't bother her for they weren't long enough to get in the way of her food. Ulquiorra stared in awe at how beautiful she looked even with her hair jumbled up into a ball on top of her head. Finally, he analyzed her food and fought the urge to scrunch his face in disgust. "Onn- I mean, _Orihime._ You must stop eating these peculiar meals. I am well aware that you have basic ingredients to make normal food."

"Don't be mean, Ulquiorra! I like my food this way! It tastes much better and it really packs a punch in your mouth with flavor! It's intense!"

"Clearly."

* * *

Once school ended, Orihime was disappointed to see tiny drops of crystalline water falling from the sky. She had wished the school allowed the girls to wear pants just as they let the boys and sighed with disappointment when she could feel the goosebumps rising on her legs. Seeing as there was no way of wishing the rain away try as she might, the girl retrieved her pink umbrella from her bag and walked towards the front of the school. Though the weather may have dampened her spirit a bit, she was glad that she was able to use the umbrella she bought and fell in love with the bunny ears on top. That wasn't the only thing, however, to lighten her mood. Walking beside her was none other than Ulquiorra. With the amount of brainpower coming from both of them, they had already finished their project and there was no need for him to come over anymore. As the two walked side by side in the same routine as they had been doing for the past week, Orihime felt relieved that he decided to continue walking her and didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. In fact, it seemed like her silent partner actually _wanted_ to accompany her.

A small smile crept to Orihime's lips thinking about this. In the beginning, it seemed Ulquiorra was reluctant to work with her, as if he was only doing it because he had no other option. Now here he was walking the girl home contentedly, though he hadn't said a word. As Orihime was thinking of their unique relationship, she felt her shoulder brush against Ulquiorra's forearm. Considering they were sharing the same umbrella- apparently Ulquiorra never brings one to school- they were in closer proximity than usual. Usually, Orihime would've been blushing by then, however, she was then reminded that Ulquiorra was actually standing underneath a pink umbrella with bunny ears. _Bunny ears._ A small giggle escaped the girl's mouth, gaining the attention of the man she was laughing at.

"What is so funny, Orihime?" he asked.

"O-Oh nothing! Nothing at all!" she replied, trying to stifle her laugh. Her efforts were useless, however, for she then burst into laughter imagining him in a pink, fluffy onesie with bunny ears like the umbrella.

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed at the girl. "Onna, you will tell me now what you are laughing at."

"Really, it's nothing Ulquiorra!"

"Speak." Orihime then took a deep breath, trying to end her laughter. Finally, she tried to tell him what was so hilarious to her, yet she started laughing during the explanation. Once Ulquiorra deciphered what she was trying to say between giggles, he glared at the girl. "What is so funny about that? Would I not be appealing?"

"S-Stop Ulquiorra! You are making me laugh even more! Now my stomach is starting to cramp!"

"That is your own fault, onna."

The boy fought the urge to smile and even laugh along with Orihime. Her laugh was just too contagious and her smile made him feel warm despite the constant rain. As the girl continued to laugh, Ulquiorra kept getting poked by the umbrella, which prompted him to take it from her and hold it above them himself. It was better this way anyways considering he was taller than her. As Orihime's laughter died down and eventually stopped, he glanced down at her. Her lips were in a small and gentle smile. Looking downward, he saw her arm dangling at her side as they walked. Remembering the determination he had before, he switched the umbrella to his right hand and thought about grabbing her hand with his left. With a burst of courage and the longing to touch her, he slowly moved his hand towards hers. His fingertips grazed the palm of her hand and he could hear a tiny gasp escape the girl's mouth, yet she did not move her hand away. Taking this as a good sign, he ever so slowly traced his hand down towards her fingers and finally intertwined them. A few seconds later, Orihime did the same.

Both refused to look at each other, fearing that their faces would too clearly display their emotions. Luckily, the rain and cold wind had already brought hints of pink to their cheeks, so if they were blushing nobody would be able to tell anyways. Raindrops pelted the umbrella as the wind coursed through their clothes. Orihime had to use her free hand to grip her skirt to make sure it wouldn't fly up. Neither of them said anything, unsure as to what they should say. Their palms began to sweat a little, Orihime praying that Ulquiorra would just think it was the rain. Finally, they reached the girl's apartment and the two were forced to release their hold on each other, much to their disappointment.

Once the two entered, Orihime swiftly closed the door to ensure no unnecessary raindrops were let in. The two swiftly took off their socks and shoes as they were soaked. Both were unsure as to what to do and say. They were finished with their project, so what were they supposed to do? Ulquiorra wasn't much of the talking type and Orihime was simply at a loss for words. So, she decided to get some distance for a little bit for time to think.

"I'm going to go throw our socks in the washer right now, OK? I'll be right ba-"

"Orihime."

Before the girl could escape the awkward silence, she was interrupted by Ulquiorra and was forced to turn and face him. His emerald eyes pierced her gray orbs and she felt as if she would be stuck there forever, paralyzed for life as she drowned in the deep shade of green that she had always been fond of. His jet black bangs were plastered to his face by the rain and his shirt hung lower than usual, revealing even more of his tattoo. Unconsciously, and much to Ulquiorra's surprise, she reached towards the ink on his body, her slender fingers moving slowly towards his shirt, unaware that she was causing a drastic wave of warmth throughout Ulquiorra's body. Tugging the collar down, she could see that the tattoo was of the number four over his heart.

"O-Orihime," the boy said, pulling the said girl out of her trance. He was embarrassed to be so flustered that he actually stuttered. This was unlike him, for he was always able to keep his cool until this girl came along. This girl changed everything.

Now snapped out of her trance, the girl sheepishly looked up into his eyes once again as her face gained a significant amount of color. "O-Oh I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that I was just so curious since the first day we talked." Ulquiorra's eyes made it clear he wanted her to elaborate. "When we were the only ones in the classroom and you caught me squinting at you. I was trying to figure out what your tattoo was."

"You are very nosy, Orihime," Ulquiorra replied. He could not stop staring at the girl in front of him. He was completely infatuated with her. Strands of her auburn locks were plastered to her face and her clothes tightly clung to her body. The drops of rain rolled down her skin and onto the floor. Her creamy legs, the ones he was entranced by before, seemed even more desirable then. But no matter how appealing her body was to him- and it was definitely _very_ appealing- what stole his heart the most in that moment was her face.

Orihime's gray orbs continued to gaze into his eyes. They were always so big and full of excitement and adventure. The girl's peachy cheeks appeared to be so soft, Ulquiorra couldn't fight the urge to caress them just as he couldn't the night before. He slowly lifted his pale fingers and brought them to her face. Another small gasp escaped her lips, not of fear but of surprise, as he traced her cheek with his fingertips. He then brought his thumb to her bottom lip, her mouth slightly opened from her gasp. Her lips always appeared so plump and soft. Ulquiorra couldn't fight it any longer. He couldn't fight the urge to place his lips against hers. The boy's heart beat fast and the hair that was previously stuck to his face was now freed as he slowly started to lean towards the girl in front of him. He cupped her chin and made her look up at him. Orihime's eyes widened and he could tell she was nervous, but not scared. So, as he bent closer to the girl, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for what was to come. He made sure to go slowly, just in case she didn't want to do it and could tell him to stop. However, that never happened.

Ulquiorra was so close, dangerously close, he could feel Orihime's breath on his skin and wanted to close the gap more than anything else. Finally, his bottom lip brushed against hers and he placed his lips against hers, molding them perfectly in between. At first, the girl's lips didn't widen at all to give his bottom lip better entrance. After a couple seconds, however, he could feel her mouth opening slightly and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Lifting his other arm, which was previously dangling beside him, he placed it around the girl and placed his hand on her lower back, pushing her even closer to him. Their bodies were touching but it wasn't enough for the both of them. Getting into the kiss, Orihime lifted both of her arms and wrapped them around the boy's neck, lightly clenching his wet hair and holding him closer. Their bodies were still wet from the rain, but neither seemed to mind as they continued to kiss, only taking minor breaks to catch their breath. With both speed and gentleness, Ulquiorra turned them around and placed Orihime's back against the door. One hand remained on her hip while his other arm made a half of a cage with the door. A quiet but still audible moan escaped Orihime's lips, making Ulquiorra even more excited. He pressed his lips harder against hers. In reply, Orihime's clench on his hair tightened. Both wanted more. Both craved more. Both _needed_ more.

As Orihime parted her lips even more, she wanted to venture deeper. She slowly let her tongue move forward, hoping to gain entrance into Ulquiorra's mouth. Ulquiorra did the same and at last their tongues collided softly, sending a wave of chills throughout both of their bodies. As lower parts of Ulquiorra's body started to react to their actions, he knew that they needed to stop. So, with much disappointment for the both of them, he placed both hands on the girl's shoulders and lightly pushed her away, ending their kiss and giving them more space in between them. Their breathing was heavy and both knew they didn't want to stop. However, it was for the best. Both stood in silence, unable to break the gaze they shared. While neither of them knew what this kiss had in store for them in the future, they both knew that they wanted to taste each other again.

 **AN:** Was this too rushed? Let me know in the reviews! Hope you liked it as much as I did! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**AN:** Thanks to everyone that reviews! Feel free to leave suggestions on what you would like to see in the story and I might be able to put it in! :) Enjoy!

Chapter 9

The two stood in silence, unable to break their gaze. Emerald met gray as the two stared into each other's eyes. Both were confused as to what just happened. I mean, they kissed, and not just some peck. A full on kiss. What did this make them? What did this mean? Orihime wanted her silent… _companion_ to say something, anything. She needed him to break the silence they were drowning in. Or maybe he could just kiss her again. Yeah, that would work too.

"Orihime," he finally said in a quiet, low voice. "I'm sorry." With that said, he quickly slipped on his shoes and left the apartment, closing the door quickly so that the rain wouldn't enter.

The girl could do nothing but stand still, perfectly shocked at what just happened. Ulquiorra had kissed her. Then he left. What is going on? She had answers to absolutely none of the questions that seemed to fill her mind. Tears crept to her eyes as she finally came to terms with what just happened. She hit herself in the head saying, "I-I must have sucked! Why else would he just leave like that!? Oh god, what if he never speaks to me again!? What am I supposed to do?"

Orihime dragged her feet into her room, completely sagging from the loss of energy and motivation. Plopping into the bed and wrapping herself like a giant burrito with the blankets, she curled up into a ball. The girl knew that she would have to start getting ready for work soon since her shift started in a few hours but she was completely exhausted. " _Maybe I should just call in sick today,"_ she thought to herself though knowing that wasn't an option. " _…Why did he kiss me and then just leave? I get it, he was just curious as to what kissing felt like and since I'm his only female friend he tried it with me… That was my first kiss too. But what if it wasn't his first kiss and he just genuinely wanted to kiss me? No, that can't be it. Ulquiorra hates people there's no way he kissed somebody else… Unless there was another girl before me that got close to him…"_ All of these thoughts filled the girl's head, making her feel even worse. " _Gosh why am I even worrying about other girls! It's not like the two of us are together or anything! He just wanted to experiment. Reading about love and stuff like that must've made him curious and he just tried it out on me because he doesn't understand personal space. Yeah, that's it! He doesn't actually have feelings for me, that's crazy Orihime!"_

Finally feeling like she figured out why he had kissed her- though she was terribly wrong- Orihime still couldn't help but feel terribly sad. Why was she sad? She completely understood the curiosity he must've felt, for she had wondered what kissing had felt like as well. So why did her heart ache in ways it never had before? The girl then began to think of all of the time the two had spent together, though in reality it wasn't a long time. She began to think about all of the times he made her laugh, get angry, and give her the feeling of warmth she craved. Just then, the imaginary lightbulb on top of her head turned on as she just realized why she was so sad. " _I get it. I am in love with Ulquiorra. There is no doubt about it now. Kissing him was nice and it made me feel like he felt the same. Since he left it's clear he didn't and that's why I am so sad."_

* * *

Hours passed and Orihime started getting for work. The girl could barely muster up the energy to put the oversized cupcake on her head. It required too much effort, which she was lacking at the moment. Smiling and pretending to be happy was definitely going to be difficult. How could she pretend to be full of life when she wanted nothing more than to lay in bed and never get back up? Before leaving the apartment, the girl sat in front of Sora's shrine. Usually, sitting in front of his picture and talking to him made the girl feel better, but at that moment it just made her feel even more alone and the tears in her eyes finally started to fall as she began to sob. "Onii-san, I am so sorry that I usually only talk to you when I need to get something off of my chest," she began to say, choking on her tears, "but I feel so terrible and lifeless right now. I finally moved on from Kurosaki-kun to only fall in love even harder with somebody that still doesn't love me. I know I sound dumb but I was really hoping this one was different." The girl began to hiccup as she cried and continued. "You were the only person who really loved me and you aren't even here, Sora. I'm so lonely and sad. I want to join you more than anything right now! I've never felt this worthless before, Sora. Please let me join you!"

Orihime brought her legs up to her chest and laid her head on her knees, wrapping her arms around her. Crystalline, warm tears continued to flood from her eyes and roll down her cheeks as her body shook. She could feel the loneliness and darkness overcoming her as she desperately tried to stop crying. Her breathing was uneven and she began to hyperventilate. Placing her hand over her heart and trying to contain her breathing was the only thing she could do to try to calm down. Eventually, it worked though she still had the hiccups from before and her eyes were now puffier. Blowing her nose and inspecting herself in the mirror one last time before she left, she thought of Ulquiorra once more and how he had just left, the only thing he left behind was an apology that she didn't quite understand. " _I'm not going to talk about what happened unless he talks first. And knowing Ulquiorra, he definitely won't be the first to talk about anything. So, I'm just going to pretend like nothing ever happened! I'll have until tomorrow to see him, that gives me plenty of time to calm down!"_

With that thought in mind, she grabbed her umbrella, which was still wet from before, and opened the door only to be shocked and unable to move once she did. As she left the door open, unable to move, rain drops made their way into the apartment, but the girl didn't seem to notice or care. No, she was too busy finding the one boy she wanted to avoid for as long as possible waiting for her at her doorstep. "U-Ulquiorra, what are you doing here?" she asked, trying to hide the trembling in her voice.

The boy stood still, analyzing the girl in front of him. Her clothes were becoming plastered to her skin as she hadn't opened her umbrella yet. Ulquiorra wondered if she would get in trouble at work for that. He then glanced at her eyes. Seeing how puffy they were, he knew that the girl had been crying and knew it was because of him, sending a stinging pain throughout his heart. Knowing that it was probably too soon for her to discuss, he set that matter aside. "I am here to walk you to work. Did you forget that I promised to walk you to and from work for every shift?" Seeing the girl's eyes widen, despite their puffiness, as she clearly had forgotten his promise to her made him feel less guilty about what happened a few hours earlier. "You are getting your uniform wet for no reason, Orihime. Open your umbrella." The girl did as she was told and the two began to walk to the bakery without saying a single word.

Once they reached the bakery, Orihime gave Ulquiorra a small smile before going in the back to the kitchen. The boy sat in the seat he deemed was his after all of his visits to the bakery as his clothes dripped rainwater onto the floor. As he stared into the farthest wall, which was a light shade of pink covered in many Employee of the Month picture frames- many of them featuring the woman occupying his mind- he thought about the event that occurred prior to this. The kiss. The long, warm, exciting kiss. But he didn't really think of the kiss itself. No, he thought about what happened after, when he apologized and left.

In truth, Ulquiorra relished in the kiss. The way their lips molded perfectly together, the soft moan that escaped the girl, the way she wrapped her arms around him, the burst of courage from the girl as she let her tongue explore. It was all great to him. But he knew that he had gotten too excited and went way too far for their first kiss. He lost all control and felt terrible about it. The boy felt guilty for how far he went, soiling her innocence and purity. Yet he still found himself wanting to kiss her again and again until the end of time. As a way to escape from making the same mistake again, he swiftly apologized and left to go calm down. Now, he knew that he shouldn't be with her. Ulquiorra knew he couldn't control himself around Orihime. She deserved much better. Thus, with the same conclusion as Orihime's, he decided not to speak of the kiss unless she wanted to. Little did he know, that would be too hard for him, for the urge to kiss her continued to grow.

* * *

Two hours had passed and it was finally time for Orihime's break. Grabbing two cupcakes from the reject stand, the girl walked nervously to meet Ulquiorra, who had been waiting patiently for her. She could feel her stomach dropping with each step as she neared him. Images of their embrace and his sudden disappearance popped into her head but she pushed them back, refusing to let Ulquiorra know she was thinking about it. She just prayed he wouldn't do anything out of character like bringing it up. Placing the two cupcakes, both of them plain vanilla cupcakes with no toppings other than frosting, Orihime took her seat across from Ulquiorra and began to quietly peel off the wrapper. Neither of them said a word for what seemed like hours.

Until finally, Ulquiorra spoke up. "Orihime. Why is this one not green like the last?"

Orihime was relieved to hear that his question wasn't about their kiss and was instead about the cupcake he was staring at in disappointment. "Sorry, I had to get our cupcakes from the reject pile and all of them are either vanilla or chocolate. I thought you don't like sweets anyways!" The boy grunted and picked up the cupcake and began to peel the wrapper. He took one bite of it and placed it back onto the plate. He then stared into her eyes, piercing her soul. Orihime wanted to shrink to the size of a pin and run away with how piercing his eyes were, appearing to read every emotion she felt.

"How is work?"

"It's OK!"

"Why are you only in the kitchen, Orihime?"

The girl lied and said, "Oh my boss wants me to be on cupcake and dish duty today!" In truth, she begged her boss to let her work in the back so that she wouldn't have to see Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra read through the girl's lie rather easily for she was a terrible liar when it came to him. However, he decided not to question it. Instead, he found it odd that she wasn't questioning him about the kiss. Usually, Orihime could never stop talking about anything, and now that there was something to actually be discussed, she was silent. This irked Ulquiorra for some reason. "Do you have anything else to say, onna?"

"No not at all. Why?"

"…I don't know."

Hours passed and Orihime's shift was finally coming to an end. After saying goodbye to her boss, she took a deep breath before walking to the front of the store to meet the person who had been waiting for her. Expecting him to be sitting in the same seat as always, she was surprised to find it empty and Ulquiorra-less. Looking out the door, she found him, the moonlight hitting his face just right. His hands were in his pockets as always and he seemed to be staring at the sky. As if he could feel her presence, he turned his head to the girl. The moonlight made everything seemed so romantic to Orihime as she desperately fought the urge to run up to him and kiss him. Instead, she calmly walked out the door and met him. The two then started to walk back to her apartment in silence.

Reaching the apartment where they shared their first kiss and many other precious moments, Ulquiorra stopped right outside of the door, unsure as to whether he should follow her in or not. Her silence was bugging him and he didn't know how badly he wanted to speak of what happened until then. Still, he could not move his feet another step forward without a wave of guilt washing over him.

"Y-You can come in, Ulquiorra," Orihime quietly stated after realizing he was nervous, something that never happens to him.

Dipping his head slightly in a nod, he did as he was told and entered. Once Orihime closed the door, they both realized they were in the same spot as before, but this time their feelings were completely different. Walking towards the couch, he stopped in front of Sora's shrine and gave a simple, silent prayer before sitting on the far end of the sofa. Orihime did the same and sat on the other side. The distance between the two annoyed Ulquiorra even further.

"Why are you sitting so far from me, Orihime?" he asked, his gaze locked on her though she refused to look back at him.

"I-I don't know I just figured you would want some space from me," she answered, her hands clenching the bottom of her pink skirt. She still hadn't changed from her wet uniform.

"Why would I want that?"

"I-I don't know."

Deciding not to question her anymore, Ulquiorra simply patted the spot next to him on the couch, signaling for Orihime to come closer. The girl reluctantly listened though she still refused to look at him. "Do I make you uncomfortable, onna?"

Though Orihime's first thought was to say no, however she did feel uncomfortable. The silence that was surrounding them all day made her nervous and the thoughts of what happened from before made her feel uncomfortable, however not in the way that Ulquiorra was thinking. No, she was uncomfortable because she thought that Ulquiorra had kissed her and it meant nothing to him and she had so many questions she was unsure as to how to ask. Of course she felt uncomfortable. "I-I guess I am a little."

"May I ask why?" Orihime quickly shook her head. There was no way she was going to talk about the kiss first. That was definitely not happening. Both were so stubborn it was making everything much more complicated. Ulquiorra sighed and gave in finally. "Is it because I kissed you, Orihime?" He could see the girl's eyes widen and waited patiently for her answer.

"…Yes and no…"

"Explain."

Orihime took in a deep breath, preparing herself to say what has been on her mind. She still didn't know what exactly to say or how to say it. Finally, the words fell out of her mouth. "Why did you kiss me?"

The question had surprised Ulquiorra, though he did see it coming eventually. Why did he kiss her? The answer was so complex yet so simple at the same time. He had kissed her because of the warmth she gave him. He had kissed her because of the way her smile lit up his world. He had kissed her because of how her face appeared to be so angelic at that moment. He had kissed her because he couldn't stop himself. "I kissed you because of our project," Ulquiorra finally stated.

Orihime was hurt after hearing those words. " _So I was right. It was because of curiosity,"_ she thought, her grip on her skirt tightening as she could feel a lump in the throat as she fought the urge to cry.

Ulquiorra noticed the pain in her eyes and sighed. "It seems you misunderstood what I had just said." Once he saw the girl finally facing him and meeting his gaze, he went on. "During our project we researched many emotions such as love and what humans do when they are in love, the simplest being sharing a kiss." He could tell that she was not following what he was saying and sighed once again. "I kissed you because I am in love with you, Orihime."


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** Hi guys! Thanks to Ulquiorra9000, I now realize a mistake that I have been making in my writing! If you guys see anything I can improve on feel free to tell me! I am an amateur that has only written a few stories so I need all the help I can get! Btw, Ulquiorra9000 has some Bleach stories, you should check them out! :) ENJOY!

Chapter 10

Ulquiorra noticed the pain in her eyes and sighed. "It seems you misunderstood what I had just said." Once he saw the girl finally facing him and meeting his gaze, he went on. "During our project we researched many emotions such as love and what humans do when they are in love, the simplest being sharing a kiss." He could tell that she was not following what he was saying and sighed once again. "I kissed you because I am in love with you, Orihime."

Ulquiorra watched as Orihime's eyes grew to an unbelievable size. The moonlight made the spread of red on her face completely visible. He could see her trying to think of what to say, words failing to escape her mouth. Her plump lips were separated from the shock of his confession. Finally, the girl managed to say something, though it was only four words.

"I don't believe you," she quietly said, unable to break away from his gaze. It was as if she was in some kind of trance where she couldn't move and had to use all of her will power just to say those four words.

Ulquiorra sighed again, something that he found himself doing a lot with Orihime. He slowly leaned toward the girl, his glance changing between her eyes and her lips. His pale fingers reached toward the girl just like before and he cupped her chin once again. Closing the gap between their lips, he molded his into hers once again ever so gently as his bottom lip was in between Orihime's. Slowly pulling back in the slightest, still so close that they could feel each other's breath and could almost hear each other's rapid heartbeats, the boy quietly said in a low voice, "Do you believe me now, onna?"

Orihime slowly shook her head, completely stunned at what just happened. The two had shared yet another kiss and it was just as explosive as the first. After shaking her head, Ulquiorra moved in once again and pressed his lips against hers. There was the third kiss. This time, the boy gave enough space so that they could look each other in the eyes. "T-There's no way you love me. I-I'm loud and annoying a-and I eat strange food and you are quiet and elegant. There's just no way."

"But I just said I loved you, did I not? Yes, you are excessively loud and you do eat strange food that appears to be inedible. There are times when you annoy me. All of that is true, Orihime," Ulquiorra replied. He then grabbed both of her hands. "But you are also kind, intelligent, and humorous. You amuse me to no end, onna. Your smile lights a fire in me and you are the only person in a long time to show me what love is."

"S-So you have loved another girl before?"

"Yes. My mother."

"Oh. No other girl?"

"Absolutely none. You are the first, onna."

"B-But we've only known each other for a week!"

"Aren't you the one that said love cannot be understood? I love you, Orihime. Do not keep making me explain myself. I am well aware of how I feel." Without breaking their gaze, Ulquiorra bluntly asked, "How do you feel about me, onna?"

"I-I don't know."

"Think."

"I-I can't."

"Maybe this will help you figure it out," Ulquiorra said, leaning towards the girl once again.

Once their lips met for the fourth time, Orihime's eyes began to feel heavy and she finally allowed them to flutter closed. With his bottom lip in between her own, she began to kiss back, sucking on his lip, fully enjoying the sweet flavor. She then adjusted her body to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck, finding that to be her favorite spot to place them. Ulquiorra then began to lightly push her back so that her head was resting on the armrest of the couch as she laid down. Orihime ran her slender fingers through Ulquiorra's locks of black hair. Resting on one of his arms, Ulquiorra moved his other and placed his hand on her curves. This time, Ulquiorra was the one to venture deeper into Orihime's mouth as he slowly slid his tongue inside to meet hers. Their tongues danced as their breathing became heavy once again. Finally, he retracted his tongue and slowed down the kiss and eventually ending it altogether so that they could talk once more, Orihime still laying underneath him.

"I don't believe you kiss every boy like that, do you?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his low voice.

Orihime smiled gently and shook her head. "No, I don't," she answered, still keeping her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Well then, onna, what do you believe that means?"

"It means I love you, Ulquiorra."

The two corners of Ulquiorra's mouth tugged upward and he no longer fought it. He smiled at the girl underneath him, genuinely happy for the first time in years. This girl, whose long orange locks was spread out underneath her like rays of sunshine, had changed his life drastically in ways that nobody else could, for better and for worse. How could somebody do this to him in only a week? Orihime was a miracle and Ulquiorra realized all of his dreams and hopes were stored inside of her. He knew he couldn't be without her.

"I must go now, Orihime. It is late and we need to rest for school. Tomorrow is our last day to work on our project," he said, amused at the small pout on the girl's face when he said he had to leave.

"But we are already finished!"

"We can still polish it up. Get some sleep, onna." With that, he leaned in and placed his lips against hers for their fifth kiss that day. This one was short but still precious and sweet. Orihime then walked him to the door to see him off, inwardly praying he would change his mind and stay. He never did in the end, for obvious reasons, and walked back home.

When he reached his house, he entered to find Kyoko sitting in the living room, waiting for him to get home. It was almost midnight, she should have been asleep. When the petite lady realized her stepson was home, she greeted him with a warm and gentle smile. "Welcome home, Ulquiorra."

Usually, he would simply walk upstairs to his room, ignoring the look of pain on her face as he did. Today, however, he was feeling quite gracious and told himself he would work on their relationship along with his relationship with Orihime. Thus, the boy asked, "What are you doing awake?"

He could see Kyoko's eyes widen and the happiness reflected in her eyes at his response. Had he really ignored her that much that this simple question was enough to get this reaction? Nonetheless, Kyoko answered, "I was waiting for you to get home, silly! I can't go to bed until I know you're safe!" Ulquiorra didn't know how to reply to this, so he didn't. Kyoko saw that he was trying desperately to make a conversation with her and she refused to give up as well. "Do you want to watch this with me?"

"Your romance shows are rather foolish. I would never watch something like that."

Kyoko sighed and then giggled. "Alright, alright." She then reached for the remote and turned the TV off to give Ulquiorra her full attention. "So how was spending time with that girl? What's her name?" Ulquiorra's eyes widened. How did Kyoko know about Orihime? The young lady read his expression well and continued, "I saw you two walking a couple of times on my way to work. She's the one that you've been hanging out with everyday right? So what's her name?"

"Her name is Orihime, Inoue. She is in my class."

"I see. She's a very pretty girl! I'm sure she gets all the guys huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"All of the guys at your new school like her, am I right?"

"Oh. I suppose."

"Do you like her?"

"I love her."

Kyoko's big, brown eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. She knew that there was something between them considering the amount of time that they spent together but never imagined her stoic stepson to come right out and admit that he loved her. "Wow, she must be somebody really special if she's got someone like you acting like this huh?"

"…She is. I am going to bed now."

"OK! I'll see you tomorrow!" As Ulquiorra began to walk towards the staircase that lead to his room, Kyoko felt the need to say one last thing. "Oh, Ulquiorra. Thank you for talking to me. I knew that it would be hard for you to adjust but thank you for trying. I really appreciate it." Ulquiorra dipped his head in a nod to let he know he heard her. "Oh, and bring your girlfriend over for dinner. Your father and I would love to meet her. Bring her over tomorrow night!"

Ulquiorra was reluctant to the idea of bringing Orihime over but knew that if he was going to make an effort with his stepmom this would be a good first step. He was also sure that Orihime would be ecstatic that he was inviting her to meet his parents. Thus, he nodded once again and went to his room for what he hoped would be a good night's rest. He laid in bed but he didn't get much rest, however, as his mind kept replaying what his stepmother had said.

" _Bring your girlfriend over for dinner,"_ he remembered her saying.

This bothered him more than it should have. Not because they were going to meet, though he was anxious for Orihime to speak to his father, who he hadn't had a real conversation with in years. No, instead it was on the term _girlfriend._ The boy realized that the two of them never defined what the kiss- or should I say _kisses-_ meant to them. Seeing as how he had never experienced anything like this before, he didn't know what it meant to have a girlfriend. What was the difference? What was the use of having some stupid title defining them? He didn't know.

" _I wonder if the onna minds that we did not define anything,"_ Ulquiorra thought as he stared at the ceiling.

The boy then began to wonder about what the future had in store for them. They kissed. Many times now. So what did this make them exactly? Were they supposed to kiss again? He knew that they loved each other but he was unsure what to do with this newfound love. Maybe he should've talked to Kyoko about this more seeing as how she had more experience with this. Eventually, the thoughts that were constantly playing in his head began to drift away as he started losing consciousness.

Orihime stretched and yawned as her alarm clock played its melodious tune, signaling that it was time for her to wake up. Usually the girl would be wanting to hit the snooze button and stay in bed as long as she could, but today she burst out of bed with a newfound excitement. Seeing as how the previous night turned out, it was no wonder she wanted to get to school as fast as she could. She wanted to see the man that invaded her dreams. The man that kissed her and made her legs tremble with his touch. The man that continued to occupy her thoughts every day. She wanted to see Ulquiorra.

Rushing to put her uniform on, she popped a piece of bread into the toaster while she combed through her nest of auburn locks. Tossing all of her school supplies into her bag, she heard the toast pop up from the toaster. The girl brushed her teeth with fierce tenacity and crazy speeds so as to finish faster. Once finished with that, she slipped her shoes on, grabbed her piece of toast, and began to run towards the door to leave.

"Onna," she heard from behind as she locked the door. Ulquiorra's sudden voice scared her and she lout out a high pitched squeal, both annoying and amusing the boy waiting for her.

"U-Ulquiorra! What are you doing here?" she asked. Her face was getting warmer as she saw him and remembered all of their five kisses, each making her want a sixth.

"I am obviously here to walk you to school. Is that a problem?"

"Of course not, silly!"

"Good." As the two walked, Ulquiorra was the one to start the conversation, which was surprising to Orihime seeing as how she was always the one to talk nonstop. "Orihime," he started, finding himself nervous to ask her to come over for some reason, "My stepmother has invited you to come over for dinner tomorrow night."

"R-Really?" Orihime asked, her eyes wide and a faint spread of pink on her face. She was shocked for many reasons. One, she had known absolutely nothing about his family except for the fact that he loved his mother, who she also knew nothing about. Two, if his stepmother was inviting her to dinner, that meant that Ulquiorra has talked about her with his family, which brought butterflies to the girl's stomach. She knew that he wasn't the type to have people over at his house considering when they were first grouped together the first thing he said was that she couldn't come over. He truly made her feel loved knowing that he spoke about her to his family and only wished she could do the same.

"Yes. However you are not obligated to come."

"No I'll go! It would be nice to meet your parents!"

The only response Orihime received from her stoic partner was a slight nod and the two continued to walk the rest of the way in silence. During their silent trip, their hands accidentally brushed against each other, making the both of them blush. The two really did not know what to do after the night before. How were they supposed to know when neither of them had been in a relationship before? Once the slight color that clashed with Ulquiorra's pale skin vanished from his cheeks, he glanced at the girl beside him, recalling his thoughts from last night. He didn't want to label their relationship. Why would he? Why would he want to define their relationship, letting everybody know that she was taken and have all of the boys back off from her? Why would he want other boys to know they didn't have a chance with her? Why would he just want her for himself? No, he didn't want to define their relationship. Not at all.

Finally reaching the classroom, they took their seats and waited for class to begin. That day, Friday to be exact, was the last day the students had to work on their projects in class. The presentations were set to start on Monday and hopefully finish Tuesday. Luckily, Orihime and Ulquiorra were diligent students, always getting their work done and getting good grades. Though she didn't look it, Orihime was smarter than almost the entire school. Her intelligence was only outnumbered by two other people: Uryu and Ulquiorra, whose ranks were constantly changing between first and second in the battle of intelligence supremacy. Thus, they didn't need to spend their time working on it as they already finished it.

Ulquiorra expected Orihime to come rushing over to him the moment the teacher was done teaching. However, she stayed seated as she talked to her friend, whose name Ulquiorra could not remember at the moment. The one that had the short hair and was in the karate club. Ta- something. Five minutes passed while Ulquiorra shot daggers at Tatsuki, waiting for Orihime to hurry up and finish their irrelevant conversation. Now the two girls were laughing up a storm, irritating the boy even more. What could be so funny and important that made Orihime unable to sit with him? Finally, all of the girl's started to join her and Ulquiorra felt invisible like he had before he met her.

As Ichigo pulled a chair next to Orihime, the dark haired boy fought the urge to walk towards the carrot-headed boy and drag him out of his chair and away from the girl that he loved. Though he knew Ichigo was in love with Rukia and he had already won Orihime's affections, it still irked him to no end to see the two of them lauging together having a good time.

"Why don't you just go over there and get your girl?" the boy then heard from beside him. He was too entranced by his hatred to notice the shadow casted over his face by his lengthy _friend_ Nnoitra, who had walked beside him along with Grimmjow.

"If you want, you can leave Ichigo to me and I'll kick his ass for you!" Grimmjow offered, a maniacal smile on his face.

"Shouldn't you two idiots be working on your projects with your partners?" Ulquiorra asked, not glancing towards them. "If you two were doing that instead of bothering me, this would not be happening." This was true seeing as how their partners were Tatsuki and Ichigo.

"We already finished, jackass. You ain't the only smart one around here!"

"…They did all of the work for you imbeciles, didn't they?"

The two misbehaved boys laughed together, giving Ulquiorra the answer to his question. There was no way those two would be able to get any work done. They were too distracted and downright unmotivated.

"Are you two a thing yet?" Nnoitra asked, eyeing the girl they were speaking of. Ulquiorra could see the lengthy boy's eyes move up and down her body. He then licked his lips with his abnormally long tongue, clearly imagining dirty scenarios. After receiving a swift blow to the gut, Nnoitra was hunched over- yet still managed to be taller than everyone in the class- and grabbing his stomach trying not to throw up from the impact. "…You bastard," he hissed, gritting his teeth with frustration.

"Next time keep your impure thoughts and glances away from her and I won't have to hit you," Ulquiorra replied calmly. Grimmjow chuckled only to receive a glare from Nnoitra. "And though it is none of your business, I suppose you could call us a _thing._ "

The two other boys' eyes widened in shock, which Ulquiorra expected. It was surprising that the most popular, attractive, and perkiest girl in school and the queit, stoic, cold-hearted boy were interested in each other. What he didn't expect was the sudden burst of laughter that followed.

"C'mon, Ulquiorra. We aren't as dumb as you think! As if somebody like her would actually be interested in an emo freak like you!" Grimmjow explained, still cackling along with Nnoitra. Seeing as how serious Ulquiorra's face was, the two's laughing ceased. "Wait, for real? You two are together like not in your dreams?"

"…I suppose."

"What the fuck do you mean you suppose?"

"I am unsure. We have shared some… _encounters_ and that was it."

"Oh so a one-night stand huh? I didn't peg you for that kind of guy!" Nnoitra said, proud of his friend.

"No, idiot. We confessed our feelings and I went home." Ulquiorra decided not to mention their five kisses for obvious reasons.

"So you guys aren't dating or whatever?"

"No."

"That sucks."

"…"

"It's because you are both cowards," Grimmjow bluntly stated. "You know what you want so why don't you just go and get it, idiot?"

"And what is it that I want?"

"You want that girl to be yours and yours only obviously. Even a dumbass like Nnoitra can see that. You want the princess to be your _girlfriend,_ emo freak."

Ulquiorra scoffed. "Why would I want something as ridiculous as that? I am aware of her feelings towards me. I do not need silly titles to understand that."

"Just look at you, Ulquiorra! You were about to jump out of your seat and strangle Ichigo just for sitting next to the girl! And don't try telling me you aren't worried about the other guys trying to get with her! Shit, I might go for it myself since you are too scared to." Ulquiorra swiftly punched Grimmjow in the same spot he had punched Nnoitra earlier. The blue-haired rebel gave a toothy grin as he replied, "See? You can't stand the thought of somebody else being with her so grow some balls already and ask the damn girl out! You two are giving me headaches with how you keep dodging it!"

The dark haired boy sighed. Grimmjow was right. He needed the title. He needed the reassurance that Orihime would be his only. Ulquiorra needed to let others know to back off. The boy really hated when Grimmjow was right. "Fine. I will get her to be my… girlfriend."

 **AN:** Thanks to everyone that reviews! By the way, I finally finished my first ulquihime story (people seemed to really like that one) so you guys should go read that one too! Please review! :)


	11. Chapter 11

**AN:** In case anyone was wondering, I do plan on making this story very long, just like my first story. In fact I have at least 30 more chapters mapped out and everything! Hope you enjoy! :)

Chapter 11

Once the bell rang, signaling it was time for lunch, Orihime was bombarded to go eat lunch with her female friends, just as she did almost every other day. Thus, the girl walked contentedly behind her friends towards the door to eat outside, even though the days were becoming chillier. She was then surprised to feel a cold hand gently grab her upper arm, lightly pulling her back and away from her friends, who then noticed this and turned around, just as Orihime did. They were surprised to find Ulquiorra's pale hand be the one gripping Orihime's arm, while the other remained in his pocket, just as they always were.

The orange-haired beauty smiled at the boy tugging her arm, a faint blush on her face, as she asked, "Did you need something, Ulquiorra?"

"Eat with me, onna," he simply replied. He's given her plenty of time to talk to these girls that he deemed as trash. It was his turn to have her to himself.

"W-What are you talking about, Schiffer!?" Chizuru explained, getting ready to pounce. "My beautiful Hime is eating with us! Go and eat with your friends and leave her alone!"

Ignoring what the redhead with glasses had said, Ulquiorra walked past the girls and looked over his shoulder expectantly at the girl he was originally talking to. "Come, onna," he ordered.

Orihime giggled and scurried towards him, "OK!" she exclaimed. Looking back at her friends, she apologized and promised to eat lunch with them tomorrow. The couple then walked off, leaving the group of girls stunned. How could Orihime choose to eat lunch with Ulquiorra instead of them? He was so cold and distant while she was bright and perky! There's no way they could get along that well! Could he have brainwashed or poisoned the girl?

Tatuski stood still, her gaze locked on the spot that was previously occupied by her best friend. " _Could it be…"_ she thought, " _that those two are together?"_ She knew that the two were getting much closer, but she never imagined it would get this far. The spikey-haired girl then recalled the day Orihime had told her about when she met Ulquiorra. Back then, she made a joke that Orihime was falling for him. She never imagined it to actually happen. " _There's no way! She would've told me about this… woudn't she?"_

Orihime happily trailed behind Ulquiorra, a small smile plastered to her face. The girl began to skip as she hummed the tune of a new song she heard playing on the radio. 'Change' is what she believed the song was called. " _I definitely need to download this song later onto my iPod!"_

Just then, Ulquiorra stopped in his tracks, prompting Orihime to run straight into him. "Onna, be more careful as you walk," he said after a sigh. "Why do you have no jacket with you? It is not summer anymore. It is cold."

"Sorry, Ulquiorra! I was running a little late and I forgot to bring it!"

"Fine, we will eat indoors today."

The two then walked to one of the school's music rooms that wasn't being occupied by a class. The room was much bigger than their classroom. In the center was a large, shiny grand piano, next to which was a stand holding sheet music. The outer wall was mostly windows, bringing natural sunlight into the room. Ulquiorra sat on the small bench in front of the keys on the piano. He then prompted Orihime to get one of the chairs on the other side of the room, which she quickly did.

"Eat now, onna."

"You mean Orihime?"

"My apologies. Eat now, _Orihime."_

A spread of pink crept into the girl's cheeks. She didn't think she would ever get used to hearing him say her name. Thus, she reached down in an attempt to shield her blush and gathered her food. Her lunch for that day was rather simple, much to her disappointment. Opening her pink lunchbox, she gathered her peanut butter and jelly sandwich along with a juice box. Taking the first bite of her sandwich, she found Ulquiorra's hands hanging over the keys of the piano.

"Do you know how to play, Uquiorra?" Orihime asked after swallowing a rather huge bite of her sandwich.

"I suppose you could say that," the boy simply replied. His fingers then lightly grazed the keys and he began to play a beautiful song, one that Orihime had never heard before. Looking at the girl sitting next to him out of the corner of his eye, Ulquiorra could see her eyes wide and her jaw dropped as he gracefully tapped the keys. A small smirk made its way to his mouth as he felt triumphant, really liking the response he got from Orihime.

The girl was stunned and unable to move. It was then that she realized she didn't know much about Ulquiorra. Who knew that he was able to play the piano so well and with such elegancy? Orihime then closed her eyes and began to sway her body side to side, delightfully taking in the melodious tune. Though she was at first disappointed at herself for not knowing anything about the boy she claimed she loved, the music quickly overcame her and she drowned in its rhythm. " _I may not know much about Ulquiorra now, but I'm glad I have the chance to learn so much more about him."_

As the final note slowly came to an end, Orihime opened her eyes and faced the boy sitting next to her to find that he was already facing her. Their faces were so close, they could feel each other's breathe on their skin. Both of their hearts began to beat faster. Ulquiorra finally began to lean forward as his eyes started to shut. Orihime's face was unbearably warm and she wanted him to hurry and close the gap between their lips. To her disappointment, he stopped just before their lips met.

"You have some crumbs on your face, Orihime," he said in a low, quiet tone that sent shivers up the girl's spine. Slowly, he resumed his way towards her mouth and their lips finally collided. Orihime wrapped her arms daintily around Ulquiorra's neck as he placed his own hands on her hips. Their lips gently pushed against each other and made them feel light as a feather. Ulquiorra's right hand moved towards the girl's face and pushed some of her auburn locks out of her face and kept his hand in her hair. Finally, the two slowly pulled away from each other. A small smile was on Orihime's face as was a spread of pink on her cheeks. Ulquiorra's normally pale face was also more colored at that moment and his eyes held so much passion it felt like it was sucking Orihime in more than usual.

"O-Orihime?" the two then heard at the door.

Turning around, Orihime saw that it was Tatsuki standing there, her eyes wide and her mouth hung open from shock. The pink on the Orihime's cheeks deepened into more of a red shade as she tried desperately to come up with an excuse. "T-Tatsuki! What are you doing there!?" she asked, quickly standing up and gaining some distance from Ulquiorra, who was uninterested and slightly annoyed at their interruption.

" _Just when I was going to ask her to be mine,"_ he thought disdainfully.

"I just came to see what you guys were up to," Tatsuki started, "I didn't expect to walk in and see _that."_

"W-What do you mean?" Orihime asked nervously, letting out a couple of awkward chuckles. "Umm, Ulquiorra was just helping me get some of the crumbs from my sandwich off of my face! Yeah, that's it!"

"He was getting the crumbs off of your face with his lips? Really, Orihime? Do I look that dumb to you?" Tatsuki rhetorically asked, pained that her best friend was hiding something so important and then lying to her about it. "You think I don't see the way you two look at each other in class all lovey-dovey?"

"I-I don't think you are stupid at all, Tatsuki! It's just complicated…"

"How is it complicated? You two are clearly dating and are keeping it a secret from everyone, just like Ichigo and Kuchiki. The only difference is I thought that you would tell me considering we are best friends."

"No it's not like that! We aren't dating… And I was going to tell you, Tatsuki! Just not yet…"

"Orihime, why are you hiding this?" Ulquiorra asked, slightly irked that she was so determined to hide their relationship.

"It's not that I'm hiding it I swear!"

"Then why don't you tell this girl about our interactions?" Ulquiorra then locked his gaze into Tatsuki's eyes. "Orihime and I are very much romantically involved."  
A twinge of anger and pain flashed through Tatsuki's eyes. "See, Orihime? Why is it that Schiffer can tell me but you can't? Why do you have to lie to me?"

Orihime didn't fail to notice the tears that were coming to her best friend's eyes, as well as her own. The two had never gotten into an argument like this. "B-Because I didn't know how to say it without sounding selfish. How could I tell you that I am with somebody when you aren't?"

"I never said I wanted to be with anyone!"  
"But I know it's lonely sometimes, Tatsuki! I just didn't know what to do…"

Tatsuki's harsh gaze softened only by a tad bit after seeing tears fall from Orihime's face. "Fine. But why this guy? He made you cry, do you remember that? I came over to comfort you because you were a mess thanks to this guy!"

Ulquiorra felt guilty after hearing the harsh yet vert true words that had escaped from Tatsuki's mouth. Though he knew he had hurt Orihime that night, he was unaware that she was crying, nonetheless crying bad enough to need somebody to come and cheer her up. Now he was curious to the girl's answer. Why did she love him? Everything that Tatsuki said was true, so why?

Orihime sniffled and rubbed her cheeks in an attempt to wipe away her tears. "Because he makes the loneliness go away… He makes me feel loved and he truly understands me… I'm sorry I hurt you, Tatsuki. I wasn't expecting it to get out in this way. I just wasn't sure."

By then, all of the anger had left Tatsuki's dark eyes and she let out a sigh. Perhaps she had overreacted just a little bit. Walking towards her best friend, who was quietly whimpering and hiccupping from crying, she wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "I'm sorry too, Orihime. I guess I was just a little jealous that you found somebody else. I guess I was also a little scared that you were starting to forget about me. Forgive me?" Orihime wailed loudly as she hugged her dear friend even tighter with strength that even Tatsuki didn't know she had. The athletic girl then laughed. "Alright, alright, Orihime. You are gonna kill me if you keep hugging me this tightly! There's no need to cry anymore! C'mon, wipe those tears away so we can get to class, the bell is gonna ring soon!"

Orihime did as she was told and smiled a toothy grin at her friend. Her face was still puffy but she didn't care as long as everything was fixed with Tatsuki. "I really should have told you the moment after it happened!"

"It's OK, I'll be more patient from now on!"

"Are you two done yet?" Ulquiorra asked bluntly. His eyes easily revealed that he was unamused and frankly uncomfortable with what was going on. Was there really a need to be crying and hugging over something so silly?

"Actually, that reminds me, Schiffer!" Tatsuki exclaimed, rolling her sleeves up. She then grabbed his collar and made a fist with her other hand. "If you hurt Orihime at all, I will-"

"You do not need to tell me, trash. I was never planning on hurting her to begin with."

Tatsuki grunted and released the boy's collar. "Good," she said, fierce determination showing in her eyes that let Ulquiorra know that if he hurt Orihime, she would end him entirely. Then, the bell rang and the three quickly headed for class, Ulquiorra irritated that his plan failed because of their interruption.

" _That damn girl ruined everything. I had it all perfectly planned and she ruined it."_

* * *

As Ulquiorra and Orihime walked to her apartment that afternoon, the boy began to think of a new way to ask the girl next to him- who was currently blabbering about some nonsense- to be his girlfriend. He knew that it was supposed to be special, though he had no idea how to do it. The boy wanted to nothing more than to plainly ask the question he's been dying to ask all day. Love was proving to be very hard to handle at that moment.

"I'm so glad that things worked out with Tatsuki!" he heard Orihime chirpily say. Ulquiorra nodded in response. "I'm so excited to go to your house and meet your parents! What are they like?"

Ulquiorra thought hard about how to answer that question. In truth, he had no idea what they were really like. "Kyoko is kind and has an interesting taste in food just like you. My father is silent and awkward."

"So he's like you?"

Emerald eyes narrowed at the girl as they walked and she let out a tiny giggle. "I suppose he is similar to me in that sense."

"What do they look like?"

"Hmm. Kyoko is much like your friend. The one that is with Kurosaki. She has dark hair and is short. In regards to my father, he is tall and has a fearsome presence, though in truth he is just awkward."

"What does he look like?"

"Hmm… He has light brown hair and dark brown eyes I believe."

"You believe?" Orihime asked incredulously. "You don't know what your own father looks like?"

"Our relationship is complicated, to say the least. We do not speak or see each other unless necessary."

"T-That's so sad!"

"…I suppose."

Orihime stared into Ulquiorra's eyes, looking for any emotion. Though he usually hid them well, the girl was able to read through him rather well, better than anyone else. Deep in his jade eyes, she saw pain. Real pain. Pain of not being close to somebody he used to care for. With a determined look in her eyes, Orihime knew what she had to do. "I'm going to fix your relationship with your dad!"

 **AN:** Next chapter is much better I promise! Please review and give me some suggestions! Preferably suggestions for cute and fluffy chapters! My mind seems to want to write about dramatic situations but I need a break from that!


	12. Chapter 12

**AN:** Won't be able to post this weekend so here you go! Please review :)

Chapter 12

It was a cold Saturday morning in the town of Karakura. Harsh winds whistled throughout the city, threatening to uproot plants and signs. Wooden houses creaked from the pressure as the residents living in them prayed their houses wouldn't collapse. It was a fitting day for Orihime to meet Ulquiorra's parents.

The girl sighed as she began to brush her tangled mess of hair. She knew that it was futile doing this, for the moment she stepped out of her apartment her hair would get ruined. Quickly brushing her teeth, Orihime looked in the mirror one last time and smiled at herself. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. Her insides felt mushy and she could feel herself sweating despite the cold weather. The girl always made good impressions with parents, yet something about meeting Ulquiorra's scared her, especially since Ulquiorra himself didn't have a good relationship with them. She was undeniably nervous.

Getting undressed, the teenage girl looked in her closet and was disappointed just like any other girl with the selection she had to choose from though she had a seemingly endless supply of clothes ranging from different fabrics and colors. Eyeing a pastel blue sweater near the far right side of the cramped closet, Orihime deemed it was the most worthy for this occasion. It didn't hug her voluptuous chest, which was probably why she bought it. Looking for something to wear on the bottom, she found a pair of faded, light skinny jeans that would have matched the sweater the most, however she was a little worried that it would be too tight around her hips and rear for meeting her boyfriend's parents.

" _Wait, boyfriend? He's not my boyfriend, silly Orihime!"_ The girl then paused her search for the rest of her outfit as her thoughts were now occupied. " _Boyfriend, huh? I wonder what that would be like… A few weeks ago I wanted Kurosaki-kun to be my boyfriend but I don't even know what that means. I'm so hopeless."_ As she thought about the boy with dazzling jade eyes, Orihime wondered if she wanted to label their relationship like that, not even knowing what it would mean for the two of them. " _If I am his girlfriend that means that other girls can't do anything with him! Which is good, but I don't see any other girls going after him since he pushes everyone else away. But it would still be reassuring! And the thought of just being called Ulquiorra's girlfriend is so pleasant. Agh, who am I kidding of course I want to date him officially! But I don't know if that's what Ulquiorra wants… He probably doesn't even know what a girlfriend is, knowing him. And he's way too reserved to ask me out like they do in the movies. And there's no way I could ever do it! I'm the girl I shouldn't have to anyways!"_

Just then, a loud noise was made as Orihime's phone vibrated on her desk. Looking at it, she saw that it was a text from Tatsuki that said, "Hey orihime wanna hang before my practice today? :)" The girl sighed. At the moment, hanging with her best friend sounded way more fun than meeting Ulquiorra's parents, especially his dad. However, she knew that she had no choice and so she sent a text back in reply saying, "Sorry Tatsuki! I'm going to Ulquiorras house today to meet the parents :( Let's hang tomorrow though for sure! There's this new ice cream place that I've been dying to go to!"

Orihime was glad receiving a text shortly after from her best friend that said, "Sounds like a plan! Good luck!" She still felt a bit uneasy talking to Tatsuki about anything related to Ulquiorra. Luckily, Tatsuki was kind and forgiving. " _I'll make it up tomorrow by treating her to ice cream!"_

Remembering that she was still undressed, Orihime began to look once again for the perfect second half of her outfit. It needed to be elegant and sophisticated. Or at least not childish. Finally, her eyes landed on a long skirt tucked between other clothes she wore more often. It was a white skirt that reached her ankles, just as most of her other skirts did. It was a simple skirt with yellow flowers on the sides. Though it didn't match her sweater much, she knew that it was the best she had for this occasion. So, she slipped it on along with her sweater and applied a thin coat of lip gloss. Heading for the door, she grabbed her white, heart-shaped purse and quickly slipped on her white sandals.

Orihime, now dressed and ready to go, was about to open her door when she realized she didn't know where she was going. Ulquiorra had never given her instructions or even his address and he didn't have a phone so she couldn't text him.

" _Oh no what do I do! I can't be late or else I'll seem rude!"_ she thought as she paced around. " _Gosh I can't believe I didn't ask!"_ Glancing at the clock hanging on a nearby wall, the girl saw that if she was going to make it on time she would have to leave at that moment. " _I guess I'll just have to wing it!"_

Thrusting the door open and being blasted by a wave of bustling wind, Orihime sighed, knowing that her hair was already beginning to jumble up and tangle. Opening her gray eyes, she was shocked to see a black, shiny car outside of her apartment. Considering the girl didn't know anybody that had a car, Orihime started to walk away, lunging herself into the incoming rushes of wind.

"Orihime, where are you going?" a familiar voice said from behind.

Turning around to face the person who called out to her, Orihime's jaw dropped and her eyes widened significantly. Standing next to the fancy car was none other than Ulquiorra, who appeared to have gotten out of the driver's seat to call out to her.

"U-Ulquiorra!? I-Is this your car!?" Orihime yelled back, the wind being so loud she had no other choice but to yell.

The boy sighed, his black locks flowing in the wind. "Of course it is. Did you assume I stole it?" Orihime shook her head furiously. "Were you attempting to walk to my house?"

"Well yeah, I don't have a car and I don't know where my bus pass went and I was losing track of time and-"

"I do not remember giving you my address."

"You didn't! I was just going to walk around and rely on my womanly intuition!"

Ulquiorra sighed once again, his patience with Orihime's thought process running low. "You are foolish. Are you going to stand there all day and keep me waiting?"

The girl giggled and scurried towards the car, her orange hair fanning behind her creating what looked like rays of sun. As the two got into the car, she rubbed her arms in an attempt to gain some warmth. This was noticed by Ulquiorra, of course, so he turned the heater on. Looking at her outfit, he sighed and shook his head. She was naïve to think such clothing would keep her warm outside, especially since she planned on walking out there with no destination in mind.

"Put on your seatbelt," he ordered. Once she did, he put on his left blinker and carefully merged into traffic. He could feel Orihime's gaze locked on him as he drove. "What is it?"

"O-Oh nothing I just didn't know that you could drive!"

"Do none of your friends drive?"

"Well a couple have their license but they don't have cars so it's kind of for nothing!"

Ulquiorra eyed her curiously as a question popped into his head. "Does Kurosaki have his license?" Seeing Orihime shake her head, he gave a triumphant smirk feeling as though he won against the boy he would forever hold a grudge against. Then another question popped into his head. "Do you know how to drive?"

Orihime giggled and awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "I don't. I figured Sora would teach me but…"

"…I see." A few moments of awkward silence passed. Usually, Ulquiorra relished in silence as it saved him from migraines. However, this time it was too glum feeling and he knew he needed to say something. "I will teach you someday then."

Orihime's eyes widened as she stared at the boy next to her, analyzing his face to see if he was lying or joking. Seeing as there was no sign of either, she replied, "Oh! You don't have to do that, Ulquiorra! I'm sure I can manage without a license!"

"Do not be ridiculous. I will teach you. End of discussion."

The girl smiled and faced forward as they neared a red light. "You know, you really are a nice guy despite how much you try to hide it."

"Ridiculous."

About five minutes of driving passed and the couple finally pulled into Ulquiorra's long driveway. Orihime gaped at his house. It was big and well kept, making it obvious that they had money to spend. A wave of chills shot throughout Orihime's body as she realized she was going to meet her... _partner's_ parents very soon. She could feel her palms become sweaty and wondered if she should just go home. Then, she felt a cold touch at her hand and found Ulquiorra's fingers locking with her own.

"There is no need to be worried, Orihime. I am here with you. Let's go," he said, dragging her towards the house with one hand and locking the car with the other.

Approaching the door, Ulquiorra retrieved his house key from his pocket and quickly unlocked the door so they wouldn't have to stand in the harsh wind any longer than they needed to. Stepping inside, Orihime was quickly relieved at how warm the house was despite its size.

"Ulquiorra? Is that you?" she heard a feminine voice call out from another room. "Is she with you!? Is she here!? Did you bring her!?"

Orihime blushed as it became clear that the feminine voice calling out to them, Kyoko she assumed, was excited to meet her. Glancing up at her partner's face, she could see slight irritation as he rubbed his temples, probably from how loud his stepmother was.

"You must talk about me a lot huh?" said Orihime with a warm smile on her face.

"I have only spoken of you once with Kyoko, she is just very loud for no reason," Ulquiorra stoically replied, leading her towards the kitchen where his stepmother was. Upon entering, he gave a slight nod as a greeting. "I have brought Orihime over for dinner like you asked.

Kyoko smiled at her stepson and then focused her gaze on the girl standing next to him. She was a beautiful girl with long, auburn hair flowing to just above the rear. Her eyes were a bright shade of gray, which would typically be a bland color but not in her case. Of course she could see the girl's quickly-developing body, but she knew Ulquiorra wasn't drawn into her just because of this. Receiving a shy smile, she could instantly see why her stepson was in love with her.

"You must be Inoue-san!" the petite woman delightfully exclaimed. "I've been so excited to see the girl that Ulquiorra has been talking about! My, my you are such a gorgeous girl!" She then faced Ulquiorra once again, who was clearly wanting the greetings to hurry up and end. "Ulquiorra, how did you manage to get such a pretty girlfriend?"

"She is not my girlfriend," Ulquiorra bluntly answered, not noticing the wave of disappointment that spread across Orihime's face.

Kyoko did notice this however and sighed. "Ahh, Ulquiorra. You are such a foolish stepson. Anyways, Inoue-san! How was your day in school! Considering you are single, did any boys flirt with you?"

Orihime blushed madly. "No they didn't-"

"I remember when I was back in high school! I was much prettier back then! Anyways, I had a lot of boys hitting on me, not to brag or anything. But there was this one guy I liked in particular. He was a good looking guy for sure and we started having a little fling so I knew he liked me too. But he never asked me to be his girlfriend," by then Kyoko started eyeing her stepson, hoping he was taking the hint. "So I had no choice but to move on and continue my life with other boys that liked me until eventually I found Ulquiorra's dad!"

Orihime nodded and applauded the woman for knowing her worth, not putting the pieces together that she was just making the story up to help Ulquiorra get the courage to ask her. Of course, the black haired teen realized what she was doing and sighed. He didn't need to hear this from Kyoko. He already knew what he needed to do but his plan was ruined by Tatsuki the other day.

"If you are done sharing your insignificant stories," he started coldly and with a glare, "then I will be taking Orihime to my room now."

"Yeah, yeah Ulquiorra. Don't have to be so cold! I'll call you two down when dinner is ready! Your father will be home soon too so make sure you introduce Orihime to him!"

Ulquiorra grunted as he walked away, Orihime following closely behind him after giving a respectful bow to Kyoko. As the two walked, the girl with long orange hair couldn't contain her blush. She's only been in a boy's room, besides Sora's, once and that was only because it was Ichigo's birthday so everybody was there. The girl had never been in her boyfriend's room before.

" _Well, duh. I've never had another boyfriend before. Oh and Ulquiorra isn't my boyfriend either."_

As they reached Ulquiorra's bedroom, Orihime was surprised at how bland is door was. All of her friends had decorated their doors with something- even Ichigo, though it was just a sticker that said "KEEP OUT." However, Ulquiorra's door was nothing but a blank, white canvas needing to be covered with his passions.

" _I'll have to help him decorate his door next time,"_ she thought as she was anxious to see what his bedroom looked like. Entering the ginormous room, her brows furrowed in disappointment. His room was just as bad as his door! There was absolutely nothing on his white walls other than one clock on the far wall, and even that was just some basic, everyday clock. With such a huge space, she was surprised to see he only had a desk for schoolwork and his twin sized bed in the corner. " _This room is a disaster!"_

Ulquiorra stared curiously at the girl next to him as she stood with her jaw dropped and her eyes wide. What exactly was she gaping at? There was nothing fancy in his room, so what could be drawing her interest? "Orihime, what are you making that ridiculous face for?"

"O-Oh nothing! Nothing at all!"  
"Tell me."

"Well… It's just that your room is so… _boring."_

"Boring? It is a bedroom. What exactly am I supposed to do to make it more appealing?"

"Well you could put posters up! And you could paint the walls, if that's OK with your parents of

course. I'll help you next time I come over!"

"What makes you think there is going to be a next time after you insulted my refined room?" After seeing Orhime's surprised face, he continued, "It was a joke."

"I-I knew that!"

An hour passed when the two heard the front door being unlocked and eventually opening. Orihime watched Ulquiorra stand up from the floor- the two were playing uno on the floor- and sighed while walking towards the door. Looking back at Orihime, he said, "My father is home. Come."

The girl's stomach dropped as she heard those five words. Ulquiorra's father was home and now she was going to meet him. The stepmother was nice and all, but something about the potential strictness of the dad scared her. What if he didn't like her? What if he forbade Ulquiorra from seeing her again? All of these terrible yet unrealistic possibilities flooded her mind as she walked down the flight of steps towards the sound of Kyoko telling another story, this time to her husband.

Finally reaching the kitchen, Orihime's gaze was glued to the back of Ulquiorra's dad. Ulquiorra was right, he did have light brown hair. It wasn't as long as Ulquiorra's but it wasn't short either. He was a tall, bulky man and gave an aura of authority. Once the man turned around, Orihime couldn't contain a gasp that managed to escape her lips. Ulquiorra was right once again, his eyes were a dark and deep shade of brown, but that isn't what made the girl gasp. No, instead it was the striking resemblance he shared with the man that haunted her nightmares every now and then. Though Ulquiorra's dad was built much sturdier and was a bit taller, he looked much like her own father. Orihime couldn't help but take a step back, her eyes widened with fear. The only thing that broke her out of her fearful trance was the sound of Ulquiorra's voice.

"Orihime," he started, a concerned look on his face as he noticed the girl's fear, "this is my father, Takeshi."

The girl shook her head and patted it with her fists, ignoring the weird stares she was receiving from the three of them. "N-Nice to meet you," she quietly said, trying her best to give a gentle smile.

Takeshi frowned. "Now, I know I may look scary and I know I'm Ulquiorra's father, but there is no need to be _that_ scared of me."

"N-No sir! You just reminded me of somebody…"

Ulquiorra eyed the girl standing next to him with curiousity. His father didn't look like Sora, and even if he did, there should be no reason for her to be afraid of him. Who exactly was she referring to? He didn't recall anybody from school that looked like him, though he never really did pay any attention to them. Maybe it was some creep that followed her to or from work.

Takeshi grunted in reply. "Well, dinner is ready. Maybe your nervousness will go away when you taste Kyoko's great cooking. She's the best damn chef in the world."

The four of them sat at the table in silence for a while, awkwardly eating their food. Takeshi was right, the food was delicious. Orihime did think the clam chowder would taste even better if she added some of her own unique ingredients though.

"So, Inoue-san," Kyoko started after taking a bite from her toast, "do you like the food?"

The girl smiled brightly and replied, "I do, it's lovely!"

"I'm sure you would like to add something to it, wouldn't you?" Ulquiorra asked. "Perhaps some wasabi? Red bean paste?" Orihime stuck her tongue out at him in reply, causing the boy to smirk.

"Wow you are like Kyoko!" Takeshi added. Orihime was surprised at how kind he was. "You two both have weird tastes in food huh?"

"It's not weird, it's delicious!" Kyoko exclaimed, lightly punching her husband in the upper arm. "So, Inoue-san, what are your plans after high school?"

Orihime let out an awkward chuckle. "Well, I haven't really thought about it. I want to do everything! I want to own a bakery, be a singer, maybe even a lawyer, a doctor, everything! I just can't decide yet!"

Ulquiorra's parents laughed together. "Well," Takeshi started, "you've got plenty of time to figure that out."

Once dinner ended, Orihime thanked Kyoko and Takeshi for inviting her over and left behind Ulquiorra, giving a small bow before closing the door behind her. Rushing to his car that was parked in the driveway, she shivered as small raindrops pelted her clothes. Though she loved the rain, she preferred to admire it indoors rather than outdoors. Taking shelter in the passenger seat, the girl looked at Ulquiorra with a small smile gracing her lips.

"Hey, Ulquiorra," she started while the two waited for the car to warm up so they can head to her apartment, "why don't you drive to school?"

"I prefer to walk," the boy stated. "It gives me time to relax before school and is better for the environment."

"I didn't know you cared about the environment!"

"I don't. It was just a fact."

When the two finally got to Orihime's apartment, Ulquiorra skillfully parallel parked between two cars, neither of them being as nice as his, and quickly entered the apartment. The two took their shoes off and stood there, just as they did the first time they shared a kiss. Deciding that moment was the perfect time for it, and also losing patience after his first attempt was ruined by Tatsuki, Ulquiorra grabbed Orihime's hand and pulled her towards him. The girl gasped and placed her hands on his chest to catch herself. Looking into his eyes, she blushed at their close proximities.

"U-Ulquiorra?" she said quietly, confused as to what he was doing.

"Orihime, I have something to ask you," the boy replied, bringing his other hand to her face and pushing some of her auburn strands of hair out of her face. He then leaned in and gave her a hard yet loving kiss. He then pressed his lips against her two more times, this time softer and slower, sucking and pulling on her bottom lip. Pulling away slightly, their faces just barely apart, Ulquiorra finally asked, "Will you be mine?"

The girl's gray eyes grew in surprise. "Y-You mean be your girlfriend?"

"Of course. What else would I mean-"

Before Ulquiorra could finish his rhetorical and sarcastic question, Orihime lunged herself toward him and threw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace, the small gap between them now closed in a hug. She then pulled away slightly so that she could place her plump, pink lips onto his smaller lips. Though he was shocked at first, Ulquiorra quickly recovered and placed his hands on her hips, enjoying her random burst of confidence. As she ended their kiss, she gave a toothy grin and said, "I thought you'd never ask!"

 **AN:** Kyoko and Takeshi do make more appearances in this story! Hope you liked!


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** Gosh I have the rest of the story planned out chapter by chapter but actually writing them is proving to be very difficult! Please review! :)

Chapter 13

It was finally Monday, the day that Karakura teenagers in Ms. Ochi's class had been dreading. It was the day they were supposed to give their presentations, the ones that they had been working on- or at least were _supposed_ to be working on- for the past week. What made these teens more nervous than usual was that their partners were people that they had never really talked to before and knew nothing about. For some, such as Rukia and Nelliel, this was easy and their personalities meshed perfectly together. For some others that were not as lucky, such as Ichigo and Nnoitra, this had been the worst time of their lives. And for others, such as Orihime and Ulquiorra, it had been a rocky week in which their feelings towards each other were bipolar.

As Orihime threw her school uniform on, she hurriedly brushed her teeth and grabbed her bag. Luckily, Ulquiorra insisted he would carry all of their supplies for the project to school so that she could walk to the high school with ease. Knowing that Tatsuki was waiting for her, the girl quickly grabbed a banana and slipped her shoes on, rushing out the door with a bright smile on her face.

Orihime and Ulquiorra hadn't seen each other since they made their relationship official. Seeing as how he didn't have a phone, there was no way to contact him, much to her disappointment. As the girl walked with Tatsuki, she listened to her story about the shenanigans that happened in karate club. It seemed like there was something new every day. Chomping on the banana with delight, Orihime was glad that she was able to spend the day with Tatsuki the day before, which healed their friendship. She then giggled, causing her to almost choke on her banana, as she recalled when she told Tatsuki that she was officially dating Ulquiorra, the grumpiest student of Karakura High School.

 _FLASHBACK_

The two girls sat on Orihime's couch watching TV as they ate their special cartons of ice cream which they saved for special occasions. Tatsuki's was always mint chocolate-chip as Orihime's changed every time considering she could never commit to just one flavor. That day, she munched on sherbet ice cream, enjoying the rainbow colors. Once the two finished the cartons, Orihime finishing first after practically inhaling it and Tatsuki taking her time to savor the flavor, Tatsuki took their empty cartons and placed them on Orihime's nightstand. Sitting back on the bed beside her closest friend, she decided to finally ask what she's been dying to ask.

"So are you are Schiffer dating now or what?" the spunky teen asked, though she had a feeling she knew the answer to her question.

The orange haired girl's eyes widened as a blush erupted over her face. "H-How did you know!?"

"Because you are my best friend! I can read you like an open book! I just wanted to be one hundred percent sure before I assumed. So… how's kissing him?" she then asked with a visible smirk on her face, nudging the shy girl playfully on the arm.

Orihime squealed and covered her burning face with her hands. "I-It's very nice… and soft."

"That was your first kiss right?"

"Well… we've kissed many times now."

"But he was your first?" Tatsuki asked, receiving a nod in response. "Wow, Orihime! Good job! Though I never expected it to be with somebody like Schiffer. I wasn't expecting it to be with Ichigo either. I don't know I guess I just figured some new guy would come to school and sweep you off of your feet. Not a downer like Schiffer and not a dumbass like Ichigo."

"Ulquiorra isn't that much of a downer! OK he kind of is. But not always! Once you get to know him you'll see that he's just like us! Just more quiet. You know, he even tells jokes sometimes! It's rare but it happens!"

"What!? No way!"

"It's true! He's also very sarcastic, like you!"

The karate lover crossed her arms and grunted. "That guy is nothing like me."

"But he is! You'll see! When you guys become friends!"

"I don't see that happening anytime soon, Orihime. Anyways, how was meeting his parents? Are they strict and quiet like Schiffer?"

"Not at all! His stepmom Kyoko-san is kinda like me! She likes weird food and she's bubbly! I guess his dad is kinda like him but he's a different kind of quiet, you know what I mean?" Seeing as how Tatsuki shook her head no, Orihime decided to elaborate. "Well, Ulquiorra is quiet because he doesn't really like anyone. His dad Takeshi-san is quiet because he's an awkward guy! It's like he doesn't know what to say, so he doesn't say anything! But when he started talking he was really sweet and funny! I just hope I didn't offend him when we first met…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… He kinda reminded me of someone and I couldn't help but take it out on him…"

"You gotta give me a little bit more detail, Orihime."

"He looks a lot like my dad…"

Tatsuki's dark eyes widened as she stared at her best friend. Knowing most of what happened between her and her parents, she figured what happened next wasn't too good. "What did you do?"

"I was just so scared. I couldn't help it! My body started shaking and I even backed away from him!"

Tatsuki placed a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "You said everything was fine in the end right? I'm sure that he knew you weren't trying to offend him. It sounds to me like after that you guys all had a good time!"

Orihime smiled at her best friend and was glad that she had somebody to talk to about this. While many of her friends knew that her parents were abusive towards her and Sora, only Tatsuki knew the extent of the abuse. Feeling much better, the girl laid her head on her best friend's shoulder as the two started to watch their favorite movie: From Prada to Nada. Eventually, the two passed out peacefully.

 _END OF FLASHBACK_

Once Mrs. Ochi entered the classroom, presentations immediately began, starting with Uryu and Halibel. Their presentation was lengthy as it covered the basics of what stem cell research was. They then explained that there is a huge debate about whether or not the practice should be allowed. Unsurprisingly, they agreed that it should be allowed, saying that sacrifice is necessary for evolution. They received both boos and cheers from the classmates, some were uncaring either way. Once they were finished, the two geniuses were surprised to receive a bonus question from Ms. Ochi.

"One question to finish your presentation, oh and all of you will be receiving a surprise question," she started, "what is your favorite thing about each other?"

Uryu glanced towards Ichigo while Halibel glanced at Nnoitra. Both replied at the same time saying, "They aren't stupid." The two then ignored the glares they got from Ichigo and Nnoitra and walked to their seat, ready to watch the next presentation.

A few partners went and it was finally Rukia and Nelliel's turn. Their project was about women inequality in the workplace. The two girls quickly received some boos from some of the misogynist boys, particularly Nnoitra, in their class and Nelliel had to hold Rukia back from tackling them. Thoroughly explaining the injustices that women have to deal with at work, the two ended it by holding a poster that read, "GIVE US EQUAL PAY OR ELSE WE'LL WRECK YOUR DAY!"

Ms. Ochi applauded energetically. "Great job, ladies! Now, for your guys' question: was working together difficult in any way?"

The two teenage girls looked at each other and smiled. "Nope!" they answered, taking their seats.

Next up in Orihime's group of friends was Sado and Szayel. The pink haired teen went on about how scientists should use prisoners of war to conduct dangerous experiments, disturbing most of the people in the room. Sado simply stood like a statue, not commenting once until the end when he announced he didn't agree with any of what his partner was saying, receiving an irritated glance from Szayel.

"Good job boys… or should I say Szayel… For your question: what is one thing you learned about each other?"

Szayel uninterestedly stated, "This boy has a weird, green stuffed animal in his room that resembles a person."

Sado quietly answered, "Szayel hates his brother." With that, the two went to their seats, ready for the next presentation.

Orihime fidgeted in her seat with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. The girl wanted nothing more than to get it over with as quick as possible. " _I hope Ulquiorra and I are next,"_ she thought, glancing behind her to look at her partner. Ulquiorra stared back at her, his eyes making it clear that he wanted nothing more than to leave. " _I really hope we don't go last."_ Much to Orihime's disappointment, they weren't the next pair to go or even the one after that. Instead, next out of her friends was Ichigo and Nnoitra. " _I hope Kurosaki-kun can maintain his temper."_

Ichigo began the presentation stating that their project was about illegal immigrants coming to Japan and how they should be handled. First, he listed off statistics about how many travel to Japan, how many are able to stay and gain citizenship, and how the others are punished. The carrot-topped teen stated his belief that they should be more forgiving with the punishments and allow more foreign-born people into Japan.

"That's because you are too soft," Nnoitra bluntly stated. "They should just stay in their damn countries."

Ichigo scoffed at his lengthy partner. "But they are being killed there and are seeking refuge with us!"

"I don't care! That's not my problem! They're gonna start taking our damn jobs and shit-" Nnoitra exclaimed before being hit by a flying piece of chalk.

Ms. Ochi, the one that threw the chalk, interrupted and said, "Gilga-kun, please refrain from using such foul language in school. Also, please keep your racism and xenophobia in check. For your guys' question, tell me the best thing that happened between you two this week."

Nnoitra burst into laughter and answered, "I got to see this kid have his chair glued to his ass and watch him stick his hands into gum!"

Ichigo then shot back, "Yeah, and I got to beat this guy's ass along with Grimmjow's because of it!"

A few more presentations passed by quickly, the only ones left in Orihime's group of friends being her and Tatsuki. There weren't many students left that needed to present and the orange haired girl just knew she and Ulquiorra were going to present last. Thus, she just hoped for Tatsuki's presentation with Grimmjow would go smoothly!

Soon enough, it was their turn to present, thus Tatsuki began to explain in great detail the best ways to keep your body in shape and how to properly train your body. To Orihime's surprise, along with the rest of the class', Grimmjow was also getting into the presentation. It seemed both of the teens were into fitness and health. The blue-haired teen then planted his feet firmly into the floor and held his palms out in front of him, making sure to keep it slightly bent. Tatsuki then began to demonstrate proper punching techniques by slamming her fists into the Grimmjows palms. The boy didn't flinch and took every punch seemingly easily. Next was his turn. After Tatsuki bent her arms upwards to the side of her head, Grimmjow demonstrated how to properly kick somebody in the face, laughing maniacally as he kicked.

"…Interesting topic you guys," Ms. Ochi said, wondering if she should call the nurse or not. "Now, what is one thing you guys like about each other?"

Grimmjow patted Tatsuki's head and received a swift blow to the gut. "This girl's spunky! I like fierce girls!" Tatsuki's eyes widened hearing this and for once she actually blushed. Orihime saw this and knew they would definitely be having another ice cream night soon. "She's also getting me into the karate club!"

Tatsuki scoffed in an attempt to hide the blush that was still spreading across her face. "I guess this guy can be funny. Only sometimes though!"

As Orihime predicted, their presentation was saved for last, probably because Ms. Ochi wanted to start on a good note with Uryu and Halibel's presentation and end on a good note with theirs. Many other students in the class were ill prepared or not prepared at all. As the two walked towards the front, Orihime looked at Ulquiorra and could feel her tension disappearing. She only hoped she wouldn't mess up.

"Umm…" the girl started out. It was clear she was going to have to do most of the talking seeing as how Ulquiorra hated unnecessary talking. "Ulquiorra and I did our project on how the human body reacts to different feelings."

The gray-eyed girl thoroughly explained the chemicals that are released with each feeling while Ulquiorra pointed at it on the poster with one hand while the other was in his pocket. She then explained what the bodies do when one is sad and happy.

"When you are in love," Orihime started, looking towards Ulquiorra and smiling, "your body reacts in a ton of different ways! One of these ways is by gaining warmth throughout your body, which causes you to blush! Your heart beat also gets faster too! Oh, I forgot to explain how we fall in love! Scientists argue that it's because of all of these different hormones and chemicals going throughout our bodies, but I don't think that it's something simple like that! I think we fall in love simply because we have hearts. At first, Ulquiorra and I disagreed on this, but now I think that if I ask him his thoughts on this again, he would say that something as basic as science can't explain why we feel the way we do."

Ms. Ochi nodded and said, "Well, Schiffer-kun? What do you think now?"

Ulquiorra sighed and faced Orihime, satisfied that she still blushed whenever he looked at her. He took in all of her features, each and every single one of them being something he loved about her. Finally, he answered, "Orihime is right. I now realize that feelings are from the heart and cannot be explained using science and reasoning."

The teacher then clapped and said, "Alright, well that's it for project week! Most of you did well, so good job! Oh wait! I forgot to ask you guys your question! Alright… hmm… I'm running out of ideas on what to ask… Oh, I got one! Alright, for our guys' question: what is your relationship now?"

"R-Relationship?" Orihime asked, covering her pink cheeks with her hands. "W-Well… We uhh… Ulquiorra and I are kind of-"

"Orihime and I are in a serious relationship," Ulquiorra bluntly answered, ignoring all of the shocked gasps and laughs he heard throughout the class. Instead, his emerald eyes stayed locked on Orihime, amused at her reaction. The girl was blushing ferociously and was burying her head in her hands. She then lightly punched him in the arm for being so blunt about it.

Ms. Ochi stood stunned, seemingly unable to process what he had just said. "Oh wait, are you serious, Schiffer-kun? You and Inoue-san are…? I-I see! Though I expected you guys to just say you are friends… I guess this is good too… G-Good job!"

With their presentation being over, the two began their walks to their desks. Ulquiorra felt triumphant on the inside and was quite pleased with everybody's reactions. Most were simply shocked that Orihime would go out with someone like him while most of the boys were shooting daggers at him with their eyes.

Orihime's walk on the other hand wasn't as pleasant. Though she was glad that her relationship with Ulquiorra was official and everybody knew it, she just wished it wasn't in front of the class like that. " _I'm definitely going to have to punish him later!"_ The girl could feel all eyes on her as she drooped into her chair, feeling like she was melting. She then buried her head into her arms on her desk until she felt something lightly hit her head. Looking up, the girl saw a small, crumbled up piece of paper on her desk. Glancing around the room, Orihime found Rukia looking at her and nodding, telling her to open it. Orihime did as she was silently told and opened it. It was a note that read, "We are all coming over later bring Schiffer. Cifer? However you spell it, whatever, just bring him!" There was also a poorly drawn bunny in the bottom right-hand corner, Rukia's trademark symbol.

" _I'm never gonna hear the end of this one, am I?"_

 **AN:** Time to explain why each project was what it was! With Uryu and Halibel, I wanted to do something that involved sacrifices because that's Halibel's thing! With Rukia and Nel, I wanted women equality because that was something Nel had to deal with in HM in the anime. With Ichigo and Nnoitra, I thought of immigration because Ichigo had problems getting into SS at first because it wasn't allowed. With Tatsuki and Grimmjow, I wanted them to bond on something they both like, which I said was exercising. Lastly with Orihime and Ulquiorra, obviously it is because he didn't understand the heart. I wanted things from the actual story to play a part in their presentations! :)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Finally the school day ended on that tiresome Friday, all of the presentations finished and project week officially over. Some of the student's presentations were surprisingly insightful while others were a complete waste of time. Grimmjow shocked the class with his knowledge on his and Ttasuki's project. Ichigo and Nnoitra surprised the class simply by not killing each other. However, nothing surprised the room full of students more than the announcement of Orihime and Ulquiorra's relationship. Nobody expected that to happen out of only a week. How could they? Orihime was a happy, bright girl that loved to talk about absolutely anything. Ulquiorra on the other hand was a quiet and reserved boy who never talked without it being absolutely necessary, giving him a mysterious vibe. How could they possibly expect these two polar opposites to come together in an actual relationship, especially when the two themselves were still getting used to it?

The couple walked home hand-in-hand, Orihime swinging their arms childishly into the air. Though the girl was nervous that her friends were coming over- probably to lecture her and convince her to break up with Ulquiorra- she was happy in that moment just feeling the boy's slender fingers interlocked with her own. Figuring that, that day was probably too much for her boyfriend to handle- listening to the presentations clearly annoyed him earlier- Orihime decided she would let him walk home without saying anything. Thus, instead of starting a conversation, the girl just continued to swing their arms and hum a peaceful melody. She was then surprised to hear Ulquiorra actually start a conversation.

"Orihime," he started, not looking her in the eye, "what do you suppose your friends are going to say?"

The girl with auburn locks that were currently flowing behind her beautifully stared at her boyfriend, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Are you nervous, Ulquiorra?"

"…I suppose you could say that."

"Well there's no need to be nervous! My friends are nice and they'll warm up to you, I promi-"

"I am not worried about your friends."

Clear confusion was on the girl's face as she stared into Ulquiorra's emerald eyes, trying to find an answer in them. It became clear she wasn't going to find one. If he wasn't worried about her friends, what was he worried about? Then it hit her. "Are you worried about me?" She received no answer and just knew that's what it was. "Are you worried that they'll convince me to break up with you?"

"Would it be wrong of me to assume that?"

Orihime sighed and ran in front of the boy and stopped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. Her hair flew towards him like heat waves and her face was full of fierce determination. Ulquiorra wished he had a phone in that moment so he could take a picture. "Of course it's wrong of you to think that!" she exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. "My friends don't control my life! I make my own decisions and I decided to be with you! So cheer up because no matter what happens later, I'm here with you and I'm going to stay whether you like it or not!"

The corners of Ulquiorra's lips tugged up into a smile. He loved whenever Orihime became fierce and determined, though her shy personality was just as adorable. He held one of his hands out to her and took the other out of his pocket. When she grabbed it, the boy quickly pulled her into him in a tight embrace and wrapped his other arm around her as well. "Thank you, Orihime. You are right, as always. It was foolish of me to think that."

Orihime giggled and gave the boy a small peck. The couple then walked hand-in-hand once again on their journey towards her apartment. They had no idea what was going to come out of this intervention-type of meeting, but they knew they were sticking together no matter what. Nothing, not even her closest friends, could tear them apart.

Two hours passed by quickly since they arrived at Orihime's apartment. The two had spent the entire time cleaning and preparing for what was to come. Although the girl had a burst of confidence and determination earlier, her stomach felt queasy as the time approached. She knew that breaking up with Ulquiorra wasn't an option, but she didn't want to lose her friends either. " _I just hope there are no fights,"_ she thought as she decided to pack away the few fragile and expensive things she owned just in case. " _Hopefully they are like Tatsuki and adjust quickly!"_

Hearing a firm knock at the door, Orihime whipped her head in many directions to make sure for the tenth time that her apartment was actually clean. Sitting on the couch calmly, Ulquiorra sighed at her antics. Rushing to the door, the girl thrust it open to find Tatsuki, Ichigo, Rukia, Uryu, and Sado.

"H-Hi guys! Come on in!" the girl said with an awkward chuckle. The five did as they were told and their glances immediately locked onto the back of Ulquiorra's head, who didn't bother acknowledging them in any way. The all moved to the living room where the black haired teen was already waiting when an awkward silence overcame all of them.

"So… It seems you rearranged some of the stuff in here," Uryu stated, pushing his glasses up. "It looks nice."

"T-Thank you, Ishida-kun," Orihime replied with an awkward smile. There was silence once again until luckily Tatsuki saved the day.

"Why don't we stop beating around the bush and get on with this already?" she asked, facing Ichigo. "Well?"

"Alright, alright," the carrot-topped teen replied. He then turned to face Orihime with a gentle smile. "Hey, Inoue."

Two weeks ago Orihime's heart would have melted hearing him greet her like this. Now, however, her heart belonged only to Ulquiorra. There was no blush, no skipping heartbeats, just a gentle smile on her face as well. "Hello, Kurosaki-kun. What did you guys want to talk about exactly?"

"Well, you see… We were just kind of wondering if what he said in class earlier was true or not."

"You mean what _Ulquiorra_ said in class? About us dating? Yes, it is true."

"…Is that really a good idea?"

Orihime frowned at the boy. It was obvious that he was only trying to look out for her yet she felt irked by his words. She didn't need them to babysit her and take care of her. She just needed their support. "I really do."

"Inoue-san," Uryu joined in, "he's friends with Grimmjow and Nnoitra. You know how those two are, what if this guy is just like him?"

The girl laughed, surprising everyone in the room, including Ulquiorra. She then looked towards her boyfriend and asked, "Why don't you tell them what you told me when I said they were your friends?"

The dark-haired boy sighed. "Fine. I said that those two idiots were not my friends and that I only let them follow me so I may partake in their stupidity."

Orihime then looked back at Uryu. "Though what he's saying is a lie, I know he's not like them. Think about it! Kurosaki-kun and I are friends but we aren't alike! It's the same with them! I know you guys are just worried about me, but I promise I'm fine."

"Do you love him?" Rukia asked, finally joining the conversation.

The girl looked at her former competition and smiled warmly. "I do."

The petite girl smiled back, truly happy for her friend. "Well then, who is there to stop you? Right guys? Inoue can take care of herself. Besides, Ichigo, this gives us a chance to admit something."

Ichigo's face turned a bright shade of red resembling a tomato. "N-Now?"

"Of course now, idiot! Why else would I have said it?" Rukia then turned to face the group. "I'm sorry to say this, but Ichigo and I have been hiding something for a while and now is the perfect time to say it. We've been- well- you see-"

"Everybody already knows you two are together," Tatuski interrupted, surprising the two. "Did you guys really think you were slick about it? It was plain as day!"

The group laughed while Rukia blushed and crossed her arms defiantly. A spread of pink was also apparent on Ichigo's face. If this conversation was to happen a week ago, Orihime would have been crumbling onto the floor, a complete mess. Now, she simply laughed along at how clueless her friends were and hoped they would forget about her and Ulquiorra. Sadly, they didn't yet.

"Alright, fine," Ichigo announced, facing Ulquiorra and stopping all of the laughter. "Rukia and I may have been a bit obvious about it, but don't think I forgot about you. Inoue is an important person to me. She's like my little sisters. Just know, that if you hurt her at all-"

"Spare me your threats," the dark haired boy interrupted. He wanted nothing more than for this useless conversation to end so they could all leave and he could have some alone time with the girl he's been dying to kiss. "First of all, I am much stronger than you. Second of all, I already heard them from that girl over there, I do not need to hear them again. As I said to her, I do not plan on hurting her."

"It doesn't matter what you're planning," Uryu said, his face deadly serious. "If you end up hurting her we will kill you." Sado silently nodded.

"I'll help," Rukia added, though her threat was the least of Ulquiorra's worries.

"Are you all done now? I think you have wasted enough of our time," he simply stated.

"Wow, Inoue why this guy?" Ichigo asked, irritated at his snarky comments.

Orihime only awkwardly chuckled in reply, hoping a fight wouldn't erupt. Luckily, it never did and eventually the five left, giving the cramped apartment more space. Sighing, she plopped onto the couch and rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. "That was too much to handle," she said, closing her eyes feeling tired.

"Are you OK, Orihime?" Ulquiorra asked, bringing his hand to her face and pushing strands of her hair behind her ear. "Though your friends' incessant threats and complaints were quite bothersome, it is reassuring that you have people that care about you."

Hours passed and it was time for the two to start heading to the bakery as Orihime had a closing shift that day. Before Ulquiorra came along, the girl feared walking to work, scared that some random guy was going to kidnap her. Now, however, as she walked down the dimly lit streets of Karakura town holding the hand of the boy she loved, there was no room for fear in her heart. As the couple waited to cross the street, Orihime felt a vibration in her coat pocket. Bringing out her phone, she saw that it was a text from Tatsuki. In it, there was a funny video of a dog howling in complaint because it didn't want to leave the park.

"Oh my gosh that's so cute!" she cried out. Holding the phone in front of her boyfriend to show him the video, she was disappointed to find his lips didn't twitch upwards into a smile in the slightest. His face remained neutral and uninterested. "You don't think that's cute?"

"I am not fond of animals," Ulquiorra answered. In the corner of his jade eyes, the boy could see his girlfriend typing away on the small device she held in front of her face. He waited for her to finish, but found that she was texting nonstop. "Why must you be using that while I am walking you to work?"

"Huh? Oh sorry, Ulquiorra! It's just that I have been brushing Tatsuki off recently and since I have to work this is the only time I can talk to her! You know, you should really think of getting a phone too in case I ever need to reach you!"

"Why not talk to me in person?"

"Because you live far away! Phones are so that you can talk to them without having to be with them! So if you had a phone, we could text at night while you are at your house so it wouldn't be as lonely! Except not too late since we have school."

It took the two a while to finally reach the bakery. Because Orihime was constantly texting Tatsuki, Ulquiorra had to save her from running into things too many times to count, which slowed them down considerably. The girl threw off her coat and placed her oversized cupcake hat on her head and began to work in the back. Ulquiorra looked towards his usual seat and scowled when he saw somebody already in it. The boy did not like sharing what he deemed to be his, thus he toward over the older man and stared at him until they made eye contact. When the elderly man got uncomfortable, and probably scared, he quickly took one last sip of his coffee and scurried out of the pink-walled bakery.

Orihime's boss, Kisuke, walked up to the lonely boy and wacked him hard with his fan. Ulquiorra then received a lengthy scold from the man wearing clogs about scaring his customers away. Luckily, his girlfriend's shift was only two hours long that day. Maybe he could make it without strangling the eccentric boss. Maybe.

Once Orihime's shift ended and she was dropped off, Ulquiorra took his time walking home, enjoying the peace that the night had to offer. The sky was dark but had millions of twinkling stars to light up the Earth. As he walked, he recalled what the girl had said earlier on the way to Kisuke's bakery.

 _"We could text at night when you are at your house so it wouldn't be as lonely!"_ the boy heard her say in his head.

Entering his house, Ulquiorra wasn't surprised to see Kyoko watching TV, waiting for him to get back.

"How was dropping Orihime off at work today?" the petite woman asked, lowering the volume of the TV so that she could hear her stepson.

"It was fine… Kyoko, I would like to ask for something," Ulquiorra replied. He could see the surprise on his stepmom's face. He never asked for anything simply because he's never desired anything. Now, however, the boy knew what he wanted.

"What is it?"

"I would like a cell phone."


	15. Chapter 15

**AN:** This chapter is all about their pasts! They are pretty dark but... hope you enjoy anyways! :)

Chapter 15

It was a chilly night in Karakura town, one that required the use of more than one blanket. Ulquiorra laid in his twin sized bed, staring at the ceiling. Feeling part of his mattress vibrate, he pulled out the small device that was shoved underneath his pillow. Looking at the lit up screen, the light causing the boy to squint his eyes, he saw that it was a text from Orihime. Sliding his finger across the bottom, the restless boy unlocked his new phone and read the text. "Hi Ulquiorra! You still awake?"

Ulquiorra sighed. It was 2 o'clock in the morning, what was Orihime doing awake so late? Then again, he didn't have much room to talk considering he was awake as well. Tapping the little keys on the touch screen, he quickly responded, "Yes, I am awake. You should be asleep." Holding the phone in front of him, Ulquiorra recalled the day he and his family, along with Orihime, went to pick his phone out.

 _FLASHBACK_

Ulquiorra, Orihime, and Kyoko swiftly got out of the white, shiny vehicle and headed to the electronics store in town to buy the boy his first phone. Before, he never saw the need to have one. Now that Orihime was in his life, he needed a way to contact her in case of emergencies. He also assumed it would be nice to be able to talk to her when they weren't able to be together in person. Thus, Ulquiorra followed the two girls- who were chatting idly about something he could care less about- into the store.

Upon entrance, Orihime and Kyoko gasped at all of the electronics in front of them. Some of the technology was so advanced, though many of them unneeded. Orihime peaked at the price of one of the new phones, drawn in by the rose gold color, and nearly collapsed from the expensiveness of the small device. Surely there was a mistake. There was no way something that small could cost that much! Sighing, the girl walked back to her boyfriend and asked, "Well, which one are you thinking of getting, Ulquiorra?"

The boy hadn't even looked around the store at all. "I do not care. I just want one to be able to call and text."

"All of these do that!"

"Then I shall get the cheapest one." The boy's stepmother walked up to the two, holding a small box in her hand. Ulquiorra saw the words "iPhone 6S" written on one of the sides. "I do not need something that fancy."

"Oh don't be a little grouch," Kyoko replied, leading the way to the cash register. "Since your father owns this store we get a pretty good discount and I've been saving money specifically for you anyways! This is nothing!"

"W-Wait," Orihime said, her jaw dropped in shock. "Your dad owns this store!?"

"I sure do," the girl heard from behind her. Turning around, she was faced with Ulquiorra's dad, Takeshi, standing right behind her. An image of her dad popped into her mind and she jumped away from him uncontrollably.

Ulquiorra noticed her fear, though it was controlled a bit better that time, and was reminded of when Orihime first met Takeshi. As he recalled, her fear was because his dad looked a lot like somebody she used to know. Knowing he couldn't just ask about it in public, he figured he would later when they were alone. Thus, the four of them talked a bit more in the store until they purchased the small device and left the store.

 _END OF FLASHBACK_

Upon remembering Orihime's fear, he decided now was a good time before he forgot again. Going to his favorites list, which was made by Kyoko that had the only three contacts on his phone, he Ulquiorra tapped on the phone icon by Orihime's name and brought it up to his ear. It ringed twice before the girl picked up.

"Hi, Ulquiorra! You didn't have to call, we could've just texted if you prefer that instead!" she cheerfully said in a quiet tone considering it was very late.

Luckily, Ulquiorra lived in a fairly big house and his parents' room was on the opposite side, therefore he didn't need to be quiet. "Orihime, I have a question."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Who is it that my father reminds you of?" There was then a drawn out silence. Ulquiorra could immediately tell this was something serious. The boy waited but wasn't receiving any reply. He looked at the phone to see if she hung up but saw the call was still going. "Orihi-"

"Oh, it's just some guy!" he finally heard her say. "Yeah, this guy from school! You don't know him though because he moved away before the merging!"

"I can tell you are lying. You are a terrible liar."

"A-Alright, fine. I lied. You know how guys used to follow me to work before you started walking me? It was one of them, but he followed me like every day."

"What happened to him?" Ulquiorra asked, doubting this story as well. Though he definitely believed she had some stalkers before he came along, he doubted it was serious enough to make her jump from fear at the sight of Takeshi.

"I-I don't know actually! I guess he just got bored!"

"Orihime, you are a terrible liar."

Ulquiorra was met with silence once again. The boy wasn't exactly the patient-type, but he could tell that this was a serious thing for Orihime. There must have been something in her past before he met her. So he waited and waited some more. Five minutes of deafening silence passed until he heard Orihime cheerfully exclaim, "Oh wow! Look at the time! It's getting so late! Well, I'm gonna go now, Ulquiorra!"

"Orihime, wait-"

The boy then heard a click and knew that she had hung up. Locking his phone, Ulquiorra stared at the ceiling once again. Replaying what just happened, he knew he had to get to the bottom of it. His relationship with his father was slowly getting better, thanks to Orihime. It would be a waste if his girlfriend couldn't handle being around Takeshi. Though Orihime won almost all of their arguments, Ulquiorra knew that this was one he couldn't let her win. With fierce determination, he let his emerald eyes close and let his mind wander off to go to sleep. He was going to find out about her past whether she wanted him to or not.

* * *

An uneventful school day passed and the couple were happily walking to Orihime's apartment just as they did every day. The girl was confused when she found Ulquiorra leading the way, almost dragging her to go faster. Why was he in such a rush? It was a beautiful day for once that autumn so there was no need to rush. Entering the apartment, the boy sat at the couch while Orihime went to get the two some ice cream, plain vanilla for Ulquiorra and strawberry for herself.

As they ate their ice cream- Orihime inhaling hers- they watched a show in which people pull pranks on each other. These pranks often lead to either injury or severe embarrassment. Ulquiorra was surprised to find Orihime enjoying this kind of show. She even laughed when people were getting hurt, which was something that was unlike her usual persona. The boy found himself smirking as well when he imagined Grimmjow being the one doing all of these pranks and getting hurt in the process. " _Maybe I should record that idiot next time he does something stupid and send it to this show,"_ he thought as he took the last bite of his ice cream. Looking at the girl beside him, Ulquiorra saw that she was finished as well. Now was the time to bring it up.

Reaching for the remote that sat on the small, wooden coffee table in front of them, Ulquiorra turned off the TV and ignored the protests from Orihime. Shifting his position on the couch to face her, he prompted the girl to do the same. Once she did, Ulquiorra bluntly stated, "You cannot hang up on me now, Orihime."

Orihime's smile fell for a second before she quickly recovered. "What do you mean?"

"Do not play dumb with me. Who does my father remind you of?"

"I-It doesn't matter, Ulquiorra!"

"Of course it matters. I would like you to be able to be around my father without shaking uncontrollably."

Ulquiorra stared at the girl in front of him, hoping she would finally spill the big secret. How bad could it be? He waited, giving Orihime some time to speak, however she remained silent. The dark haired boy sighed in annoyance. He then brought his pale, slender feelings to his shirt, unbuttoning it slowly.

Orihime's face got warmer and warmer as each button was undone. "Ulquiorra? W-What are you doing? Isn't it a little soon for-"

"Hush, Orihime," Ulquiorra interrupted, realizing where she was going with that. "I am going to tell you the meaning of my tattoo." The boy then pointed at the gothic four on his chest. Seeing the girl's eyes widen in surprise as her jaw dropped, he knew that he made her curious. "The meaning is important to me. I have never told anybody else about this. However, I will tell you."

"Alright, I'm listening," Orihime said. She had been dying to know what the four on his chest represented since the day she met him.

"However, I will only tell you if you tell me who my father reminds you of."

Orihime's eyebrows furrowed and she crossed her arms. He got her all curious just to say that. "T-That's not fair! What if your reason for it is something silly! Like your favorite number is four or something!"

"I said it was important to me, did I not? If you do not deem the meaning of my tattoo important enough, then you do not have to tell me."

"…Fine."

"There will be no interruptions, do you understand?" Seeing Orihime nod, he sighed and began his story. "First, let me tell you about my mother, Megumi. She looked much like me with black hair and green eyes. My mother was my best friend- my only friend in fact. I followed her everywhere and she enjoyed my company. My father and I were on much better terms back then. The three of us spent all the time we could together. We did not have much money, but we were happy just being a family. While my father worked long shifts that lasted until the morning, my mother took care of me. We often read books together, her favorite was some romance drama called Kissed by an Angel. I always made sure to do well in school so that I may come home and tell her. She would always be proud of me and congratulate me on my hard work."

"Anyways, one day, it was her birthday. My dad had no choice but to work that day or else he would have lost his job, so he was unable to celebrate with us. My mother did not mind though. She figured we could all celebrate on his next day off. I made her a card that she never got the chance to read. As the two of us were baking a cake- chocolate, I remember, it was her favorite- we heard the front door unlock and we both assumed it was my father getting home early from work. So we stayed in the kitchen and waited for him. We were going to let him help stir the batter. However, it wasn't my dad that entered our home."

Orihime's eyes widened as she saw hatred appear in Ulquiorra's eyes. She looked down and saw his hands making tight fists as he started breathing unevenly. "Go on…" she whispered, a bit scared at where the story was heading.

"No, it wasn't my father," Ulquiorra hissed, venom filling his emerald eyes. "Instead, it was some deluded man. He came into the kitchen where my mother and I were. He was clearly intoxicated with something. She screamed and quickly stood in front of me with determination to protect her son. I should have been the one to protect her! I was nothing but a mere child, however. All I did was cry and watch as he lunged at my mother with a knife. She was strong however and managed to avoid it and tackle him to the floor. The two of them wrestled for a while, both trying to take hold of the knife. I heard my mother wince in pain and saw blood oozing onto the floor. I could tell she was hurt."

"She was stabbed in the stomach and was quickly losing blood, but she continued to try to get the knife. All of the pain she went through just to protect a coward like me. I just stood there and watched her bleed. I watched my mother dying fighting for me. Eventually, she managed to clamp her teeth hard into the intruder, which forced him to drop the knife. He continued to punch her in the head to try to make her stop biting him. I kept telling myself to move, move and help my mother. But I was too much of a coward."

"My mother started to become weaker and lose her grip on him with each punch. Eventually, she was knocked unconscious. The man screamed at her, calling her a bitch for biting him. He then started to kick her with all of his might, straight into the ribs, the face, everywhere. I couldn't stand it anymore. I forced myself to move, to do something. It took all of my energy and being just to take one step forward. I was so slow, my body just couldn't do it. As he was beating my mother, I eventually made my way to the knife. I picked it up and hesitated."

"In my hand was something so small yet so dangerous. Something that could easily take a life away. I didn't want to become a killer. But when I saw him kick my mother, who was already on the verge of dying, I thrust it deep into his back. He collapsed and never got back up. Neither did my mother. I fell to my knees beside her and shook her over and over again, trying to wake her up. Surely she was just sleeping, right? Her warm blood covered her and the floor. I knew deep down she was already dead. If I just moved and fought with her from the start she would be alive today. If I wasn't such a damn coward."

"Eventually, my dad came home and saw what happened. It was the first time I had seen him cry. He quickly called the cops, yelling at them to hurry up and bring an ambulance to save my mom. I'm sure he knew deep down as well that she was already gone. When they finally arrived, they pried me off of my mother's dead body to bring her in for an autopsy. They took the body of the man I killed as well. Apparently, he came to rob us so that he could buy more drugs. What a funny thing! A man looking for money came into a broke family's house for money! Such foolishness is what killed my mother. No, that is not true. My cowardice is what killed my mother. When I was 14, I met Grimmjow and he took me to a tattoo parlor that did work on minors as long as they paid extra. It was there that I got this tattoo. My mother's birthday was April 4th, 1984. She also died on her birthday. That is why I have the number four tattooed on my chest, over my heart."

Ulquiorra finally looked at the girl sitting in front of him. Tears were streaming down her face despite her efforts of wiping them away. She gave up and just placed her head in her hands, sobbing quietly. The boy's own heart was aching, but he refused to cry. He told himself he wouldn't cry long ago, he wasn't going to start again now.

"I-I'm so sorry, Ulquiorra," Orihime finally said through her tears.

"Do not be sorry. It was not your fault."

"I-I know but it's still so sad. I had no idea."

"When you calm down, you may tell me who it is my father reminds you of."

Orihime nodded, sniffling uncontrollably. Wiping her tears away one last time, she took deep breaths to even out her breathing. Luckily, she hadn't been crying long enough to start hiccupping or hyperventilating. When she finally stopped crying, she said, "OK, you aren't allowed to interrupt either." After seeing Ulquiorra nod, she took one last deep breath before starting her story.

"Umm… OK, so I guess I'll just start off from when I was born! I was born somewhere else in Japan, I'm not sure where to be honest! Sora was already older then and he took care of me. My parents, I don't even know their names, were drug addicts and used all of their money on it. Sora had to use all of his paychecks that were from her part time job to buy us groceries and clothes. He did everything that they should have, like playing with me, teaching me how to read and write, he even taught me how to ride a bike! He was always there for me. Like your mom, Sora was my only and best friend too."

"When I turned two, my parents were going through a lot of rough times. My mom lost her job because of the side effects from drugs. Now their money to spend on it was cut in half, which meant they ran out sometimes. Whenever this happened, my dad would take it out on me. I was only two and he was punching and kicking me. My mom would watch and yell at me as he hit me. Then she would tell him to punch me harder or to kick me in certain places or make me bleed. They only did this when Sora wasn't home, which was why I felt so at ease when my brother would get home from work. They never did this kind of stuff to Sora because they relied on him to bring in money and pay for their food and rent. Sora knew about them hitting me, I mean it was so obvious with all of the blood stains in the carpet and the bruises all over my body. What could he do though? He was only a teenager then, there was nothing he could do. He always yelled at them and told them to stop, threatening to stop paying for their stuff. My parents would always apologize and for a short time they would stop hitting me. But eventually they started doing it again, doing it even harder for getting them in trouble with Sora."

"I could handle the beatings. After a while I even stopped crying when I would get hit. I guess my body just became so numb to it. But one day when I was four years old, my dad looked at me differently and I could tell he was thinking of something, I just wasn't sure what it was. While Sora was at work, my father started hitting me as always while my mom watched and counted their money to make sure that they had enough to pay for next week's drugs. That's when my dad randomly stopped hitting me and just stood over me with that look in his eyes again. That's when he started to get undressed. My mom just watched as always. I didn't know what he was planning on doing, I was just glad he stopped beating me. Then he started reaching for my clothes and I got a sense of what he was going to do. Imagine, a four year old knowing the concept of rape and sex because she had seen her dad do it to her mom all the time. Now he was going to do it to me."

"I kicked and screamed. I squirmed all over the place, trying to get away from him. I just couldn't do it though. How could I when he was so much taller than me and much stronger? He grabbed the hem of my shirt just as Sora entered the apartment. Sora was my savior. I've never seen him angrier than at that moment. My dad let go of me and my shirt and I ran towards my brother as fast as I could, bawling my eyes out. That's when Sora told them he's moving out and he was taking me with him. My parents begged him to stay at first, crying and telling him that they were sorry, that they would never do it again. My brother didn't listen and began to pack what little we had along with the extra money he had been saving."

"My parents got so angry, my dad tackled Sora and the two began to wrestle over the money. My mom kicked him too. I couldn't do anything either but cry. Eventually, Sora got the upper hand, probably thanks to the drugs my parents were on, and elbowed my dad in the face, which knocked him out. He then punched my mom, knocking her out too. He then rushed to get everything and we got on the next bus. Eventually, the bus stopped in Karakura and Sora got us this apartment. We never looked back and we lived happily ever after for years until the accident. You know what happens next…"

Ulquiorra stared wide eyed at the girl who was rubbing the back of their head awkwardly, chuckling. How could she cry hearing his story but not while telling that traumatizing story of her own? The boy never expected this. Before he met Orihime, he had assumed she was living the most perfect and happy life which was why she was always smiling. When he found out about Sora's death the first time he came over to the apartment and saw the shrine, he never once thought about her parents. How naïve he was to believe her past was nothing but happy.

"Where are your parents now?" Ulquiorra asked. He wanted nothing more than to find them- especially her father- and kill them just as he had killed the man that broke into his house and killed his mother.

"I have no idea! Sora never told me and I never asked!" she answered with a fake brightness. "That's probably why I jump when I see your dad! Part of me probably thinks it's him at first!"

"I am sorry I pushed you to speak about this, Orihime…"

"No, don't be! You know, I do feel better sharing this with you. And thank you for sharing your tragic memory with me. I feel much closer to you, more connected."

"You really are such a strong woman."

The girl beamed at him with a dazzling smile. Ulquiorra reached out to her and pulled her towards him, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. While he laid on the couch with Orihime laying on top of him, he grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. The boy wrapped one of his arms around his girlfriend while he combed through her long locks of orange hair with the other. The two stayed like this for hours, feeling connected in ways that they weren't before. Though their tragic backstories scarred them for years and would continue to until the end of time, they were glad to have shared them with each other and feel the weight of their secrets disappear. Now there was nothing from their past to hold them back. From there on out, there was nothing to do but grow together.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN:** Since I want this story to cover a lot of their time, I can't possibly cover every week of their lives. So starting now the chapters skip some time! So this chapter is now 3 months later from the last! I know it's a little confusing but I think I can make it work! Enjoy!

Chapter 16

In Karakura, snow fell graciously from the sky and covered the ground in a soft, white blanket. Some kids ran outside throwing snowballs at each other playfully while others stayed inside, enjoying the warmth their houses had to offer and sipping hot chocolate. Either way, these kids were enjoying the snowfall with their friends or family. One child in particular, however, had no friends at all to play with and her only family was gone for the day, leaving her by herself. The child spent most of the day in their cramped apartment, watching TV and eating strange snacks, waiting for her brother to come home. Hours passed when the small girl looked at the clock and found that her brother was going to return soon.

Not even bothering to throw on a coat, she ran outside to wait. Kneeling down, she scooped some of the fluffy snow into her hands and threw it into the cold air above her, laughing as it fell back down on her. An idea popped into her head and she began to smile with determination. The child took her hands, which were now red from the coldness of the snow, and began to make something out of the snow. Most people would make snowmen, but this child was unique. Deeming bunnies to be cuter, she molded the snow into two different sized balls. She then stacked the smaller one on top of the bigger, similar to the construction of a snow man. The child then placed leaves she found buried under the white, fluffy blanket into the makeshift head to resemble bunny ears. Repeating this process but with smaller snowballs, she made a tinier snow bunny next to the larger one.

"Orihime, what are you doing out here?" the small girl heard from behind her. Turning around, she found it was her brother, Sora. "You don't even have thick clothes on, you should be inside!"

"But Onii-san," the small child with a bob of orange hair started, "I wanted to wait for you out here! Look, I made us snow bunnies! The bigger one is you and the smaller one is me!"

The taller, slim man smiled warmly at the girl, making her forget that she was in the snow. She always loved the gentle smile he reserved for her. She loved everything about her older brother and hoped they could spend the rest of their lives together. Orihime didn't need friends because she had Sora- not that she could make any friends anyways. Life was better when he was around. There were no worries or sadness. Everything was perfect.

Orihime woke up to the loud and startling vibration of her cell phone, which was tucked underneath her pillow. The girl yawned loudly and stretched her arms above her head. A cold chill then ran up her spine, causing her to look out the window. It was snowing again that day as it had been for the past week. As she saw the snow gently falling outside, she was instantly reminded of her peaceful dream. A small, crystalline tear fell down the girl's cheek before she quickly wiped it away.

" _I always cry whenever I have a dream about you, Onii-san."_

Orihime then began to get ready for school, which sadly was not cancelled despite the snowfall. The girl shivered as she put the small skirt on, making her wish once again that girls were allowed to wear pants just as guys were. They weren't even allowed to wear thick, fuzzy socks to keep warm. Being a girl was hard sometimes and there was nothing she could do about it. Thus, she grabbed her pink coat and headed out the door. Meeting Tatsuki about halfway during her walk to school, the two girls chatted idly about how school was going, any new gossip, and of course, boys.

"Hey, Tatsuki, how are things going with you and Grimmjow?" Orihime asked, a sly smile on her face.

"W-What are you talking about?" the short haired girl frantically replied. "I don't know what you are talking about!"

"Don't think I forgot about what happened way back during projects week! Everyone saw you blushing! And you two have been spending like every day together because of karate club! My woman's intuition is telling me that there's something going on between you two! I can feel it!"

"A-Alright, fine. I _might_ have a thing for him, though he's a huge dumbass. I don't know how to explain it really… but I guess you could call it a crush…"

Orihime's jaw dropped as she stared at her best friend with wide eyes. She hadn't expected her to come to terms with her feelings. Now she felt embarrassed remembering how long it took her to find out she liked Ulquiorra. "Does he like you back?"

"Are you kidding? That guy is nothing but a huge flirt!"

"Hmm… I don't know about that! I asked Ulquiorra once about their time in Hueco Mundo High School and he said Grimmjow's never had a girlfriend since he's known him."

"Probably because he just hits it and quits it." Tatsuki noticed the confused look on her friend's face and immediately knew she didn't understand what she just said. "He sleeps with them and then never talks to them is what I meant. Anyways, how are you and Schiffer? How long have you guys been together now?"

Orihime smiled and relished in the memory of when she started dating Ulquiorra. "We've been together for about three months! And we're doing fine!"

"No fights or anything?"

"Nope!"

Tatsuki gave a toothy grin as she patted the girl's head. "Wow! You know, I may not have liked the guy at first, but you two really are the ultimate pairing!"

Finally entering the classroom, the two girls went their separate ways, Tatsuki to Grimmjow and Nnoitra while Orihime went to Ulquiorra. The orange haired girl sat by her boyfriend and watched as he read a book he was deeply interested in. Ulquiorra was always reading a new book each week, most of them being non-fiction, boring novels that older people read. She knew not to disrupt him while he was reading and instead waited for him to finish the page he was on.

The dark haired boy was grateful for this as his emerald eyes quickly scanned the page, not missing a single piece of information. Once finished, he placed his rainbow bookmark- a gift Orihime had made him- and stuck it in, closing the lengthy book and looking at the girl sitting in front of him. He could see most of her face was pale from the cold, though her cheeks were a bright shade of pink. At least the girl was smart enough that day to wear a jacket.

"Hello, Orihime," Ulquiorra finally said.

"Hello, Ulquiorra," the girl replied with a smile warm enough to melt the blanket of snow outside into an ocean. "Are you enjoying the snow today?"

"I will say what I said yesterday and the day before: no. I am not enjoying the snow. What is there to enjoy about something that is cold and causes illness?"

"It's fun to play in!"

"It is wet and cold."

Orihime sighed. She refused to let her boyfriend think poorly of something she loved. "You should come over today! I don't work and I want to show you something!"

Ulquiorra's eyebrows raised in curiosity. "What is it?"

"It's a surprise!"

The boy scowled as he had always hated surprises. Why tell somebody you want to show them something and then make them wait? It was pointless and irritating, but he knew there was no winning with Orihime. Sighing, Ulquiorra simply nodded his head as Ms. Ochi walked into the room and signaled for class to begin. Already being familiar with algebraic functions and applications, the boy decided there was no need to pay attention to the lecture and he pulled out his book and began to read. His eyes skimmed through the pages and he grew irritated realizing he wasn't actually reading thoroughly enough. The dark-haired boy found himself needing to re-read pages due to this, causing him to scowl on the inside.

" _Why am I so distracted?"_ he wondered. Unlike everybody else, Ulquiorra found the lengthy book he was reading to be quite interesting. The plethora of knowledge he gained was worth the couple of hours spent reading. Reading was relaxing anyways. So why couldn't he pay attention? " _It must be because of this surprise… Damn it I hate surprises."_

Once school finally ended, Orihime trotted through the snow happily while Ulquiorra followed not-so-happily behind. The girl managed to skip through the snow without falling, surprising her boyfriend for she was usually a clumsy girl. Finally reaching the cramped apartment, which was sure to be cold on the inside, Ulquiorra waited patiently for Orihime to unlock and open the door, however the girl was instead kneeling on the ground with her hands buried in the snow.

"Orihime, what are you doing?" Ulquiorra asked, his patience disappearing. "You are not wearing gloves, you are sure to catch a cold."

"Close your eyes, Ulquiorra! Don't look!" the girl replied.

The dark-haired boy sighed and shivered. " _Of course her surprise would require being outside."_ With that, he turned around to make sure he wouldn't see what Orihime was doing. The boy fought the urge to peak as he found himself growing curious. "Are you finished yet?"

"Almost done… There! You can look now!"

Ulquiorra turned around, expecting to see a snowman or a snow angel, which is what most children made in the snow. Orihime was always surprising him, however. He saw the girl standing next to two almost-snowmen creatures, which were made of two varying sized snowballs. Drenched leaves were stuck into the heads of them, which Ulquiorra assumed were supposed to be ears. " _What are these supposed to be?"_ he wondered. Surely he wouldn't ask that aloud so as to not hurt his unique girlfriend's feelings. Though his face just couldn't lie.

Orihime saw her boyfriend's eyebrows furrowed together as he looked at her creations. His frown made it obvious he didn't know what it was. "They are snow bunnies! How can you not tell by their ears!?"

"They just look like miniature snowmen with leaves in their heads. I do not see how they are supposed to be rabbits."

"Bunnies."

"Whatever."

Orihime sighed and smiled gently at the bunnies by her feet. Memories of her childhood with Sora flooded her mind as she reminisced about her dream. Though Ulquiorra wasn't as kind and appreciative of her snowy creations like Sora was, she was glad to have been able to share a bit of her childhood with him. "One day when Sora was at work and I was a kid," the girl started with a small and sad smile on her face, "I waited for him right in this spot and made the same snow bunnies. Except one of them was smaller since I was a kid, of course. Sora told me he not to do it again because I would get sick, but I didn't stop. Every day that there was snow on the ground I would make these snow bunnies for him to come home to. It eventually became like a tradition during the winter. I just wanted him to come home to something because I knew that his job was stressful." Orihime then faced her boyfriend, who wore a look of sympathy. "And when I heard that you hated the snow I just couldn't sit by and do nothing! Not when I have so many fond memories with it! So, I thought I would make you a snow bunny too! That way you could like the snow too! But it looks like my plan didn't work…"

Ulquiorra sighed as he stared at the girl in front of him. He then glanced at the bunnies when an idea popped into his head. Kneeling down, which resulted in his uniform getting wet much to his disappointment, the boy scooped some snow into his hand and began to make a near-perfect sphere. He repeated the process, this time with less snow to make a smaller sphere, and placed it on top of the bigger one. Digging under the foot of fluffy snow, he found two brittle leaves of varying sizes that were clearly not in good condition. Seeing no other leaves, he took these two and placed them into the smaller sphere. Now there were three bunnies lined up perfectly.

Orihime was confused as Ulquiorra stood up to look at his masterpiece. "Ulquiorra," she started, "what's that for?"

The emerald-eyed boy placed his wet hands back into his pockets and answered, "You said that you made these two _bunnies_ to represent you and Sora when you were a child. Therefore, those two bunnies that you just made were of you and your brother, not me. I decided to make myself next to yours."

Orihime could feel her eyes start to sting as she felt the lump in her throat, fighting the urge to cry. A single, warm tear escaped however, for Ulquiorra's actions were to kind. He made sure to keep her brother involved in everything because he knew how much Sora meant to her. She remembered how he had always prayed to his shrine whenever he came over, when there were days she felt sad Ulquiorra always brought up a memory of her brother, all of the different ways Ulquiorra showed his respect to Sora. Before Ulquiorra came along, the girl had always felt alone without her brother and feared that if she moved on she would forget about him. Now with Ulquiorra in her life, Orihime knew that she could find love and still care for her brother just as she did before, this time not as lonely and sad. Now there was somebody there to help include Sora and help her remember.

Ulquiorra sighed once again and brought his hand up to Orihime's cheek. Wiping the single tear away, he leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. The boy then took her hand and led the two of them inside, glad that he could finally warm up. He gave a quick prayer to Sora's shrine just as he did every time he came over and then sat on the couch as Orihime went to the kitchen to make the two of them hot chocolate. Once he saw her making her way to the couch with two mugs in her hand, he decided he would share one of his own memories as well, which he typically was not fond of.

"My mother and I used to drink hot chocolate on days like this," he stated, taking a sip of the chocolatey liquid. It was sweet, just as the kind his mother made, though the two were not nearly on the same level.

"I see… I made mine using powder from a can, so it probably isn't as good," Orihime replied, suddenly feeling a bit insecure of her cooking abilities. "Sora used to make me hot cocoa too. He actually made everything himself though! And he would put a huge marshmallow in it! I would give you a marshmallow but I ran out."

"It is fine, I do not like anything in my hot chocolate anyways. My mother did, however. You share so many characteristics with my mother. Perhaps that is one of the many reasons that I am drawn to you."

Once the two finished their drinks, they cuddled up on the couch comfortably though there definitely was not enough room for the both of them. Ulquiorra ran his slender fingers through Orihime's orange locks of hair, mesmerized at how each strand was bright of color on its own. Orihime felt as if she could pass out any minute. Ulquiorra's toned arm was a much better pillow than the one in her room and his body heat was much more effective than her blanket. She wished they could stay like this forever.

Orihime then began to think of when Ulquiorra wasn't in her life. To be more precise, when he wasn't attending Karakura High School. She wondered what he was like, if he was the same grouch he was when she first met him or if he was kinder before. Did all of the girls like him there? Was he popular? All of these questions reminded her of just how much she didn't know about her boyfriend, exciting her to learn more about him.

"By the way," the girl started, gathering Ulquiorra's attention from her hair to her words, "why did Hueco Mundo shut down? I thought you guys had a lot of money to keep it running?"

"It turns out our principal, Aizen, was taking the some of the money that parents donated and was using it for a drug business," Ulquiorra answered.

Orihime's jaw dropped in surprise. "W-What!? How did nobody notice that their money wasn't going to the school!?"

"Aizen was a smart criminal. Once his business took flight, he put some of his profit into the school so that nobody would notice."

"…I see. Don't get me wrong, the merging of our schools was wonderful and it's how I got to know you and everything, but why did they shut it down instead of just firing Aizen?"

"That is what they were originally planning to do, until they found out our vice principal Tosen was in on it too. Then the police found evidence that even more of the staff, and even some of the students, were in on it. During the time of investigation, the school would have to be closed. Instead of having the students missing out on possibly months' worth of school, it was easier to merge the students into Karakura High and move the funds into this school as well."

"Wow, this is all so surprising! I can't believe some of the students sold the drugs too! Did you know anybody that did?"

"I did not personally know any of them. I was in a class with one of them, however. He was a senior named Stark. Though I was not fully acquainted with him, he did not irritate me like everybody else. Surprisingly, Grimmjow and Nnoitra weren't in on it, though they were offered."

"They were offered!? W-Were you offered?"

"Yes. And for your information, I refused."

Orihime let out a sigh of relief. Looking at her phone, the brightness almost blinding her, she was filled with disappointment seeing it was almost midnight. "You have to go now, Ulquiorra."

"I am aware of that."

With that, the two lazily walked to the door wanting nothing more than to collapse on the couch again. Orihime lightly kissed Ulquiorra's cheek and sent him on his way, telling him to be careful since it was so dark. Once he was out of sight, the girl dragged her feet to her bed and plopped onto it, not bothering to get under the covers. She still had so many questions that needed answers about Ulquiorra, so much curiosity. Knowing that they had plenty of time to grow and learn together, Orihime drifted into a peaceful sleep, though not as peaceful as it would've been had her boyfriend been there.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** Oh my gosh I am writing chapter 21 right now and I am just having some serious writer's block right now! I have the ideas but just writing them in a way that isn't terrible is just impossible for me right now!

Chapter 17

It was yet again a snowy day in Karakura Town. The snow had fallen even more graciously during the night, creating the blanket of fluffiness to thicken to over a foot deep. Ulquiorra trotted through the snow grumpily as snowflakes piled over his head, contrasting sharply with the darkness of his jet-black hair. Though he wanted nothing more than to drive to his destination, the boy didn't trust the ability of everybody else driving in the snow. Thus, he had no other option than to walk. His pace quickened as he finally neared the small apartment he was going to take shelter in.

" _It is Saturday morning, why must Orihime need me to come now?"_

Knocking just once on the door, Ulquiorra could hear footsteps quickly approaching from inside. Orihime then threw the door open and greeted him with a warm smile as always. Nodding towards her in recognition, Ulquiorra entered the cramped apartment, shivering uncontrollably and glad to be away from the snow.

"Good morning, Orihime. Now, while I enjoy spending time with you," he started, shaking his head to get rid of the snow that was on top of it, "I must know what was so important that you made me walk here in the _snow_ so early in the morning."

Orihime's jaw dropped. Recovering from the shock of his question- which Ulquiorra didn't find surprising at all- the girl placed her hands on her hips and replied, "What do you mean? It's your _birthday,_ Ulquiorra! We're going to celebrate!"

The boy scoffed and took a seat on the couch. "How did you know about that?"

"I make sure to know all of my friends' birthdays! And you are my boyfriend! There was no way I wasn't going to find out!"

"Who told you?"

"Kyoko-san called me the other day and told me!"

Ulquiorra sighed and rested his head on the plump cushion. He never really liked his birthday since the death of his mother. His father and Kyoko tried every year to celebrate with him or give him extravagant gifts, only to be rejected. Eventually, they stopped buying him gifts and only made his favorite meal and gave him a card. Once Kyoko tried to throw a surprise party inviting all of his classmates. Let's just say that didn't end well at all.

"I would rather we pretend this is any other day," the boy said, ignoring the shocked look from his girlfriend. "I am not fond of birthdays."

"Why not!?"

"They are just reminders that you are approaching death. What is there to celebrate?"

"It's to celebrate that you've lived a whole year and made a bunch of happy memories! Did you never celebrate before?"

"I used to before my mother died."

Orihime gave her boyfriend a pitiful look, which was something that irked Ulquiorra. He always hated when people looked at him like that. It made him feel weak.

"I understand that. Birthdays aren't the same when somebody you love dies… But when you find somebody else to love, they can make some of the loneliness go away and make it a happy day for you like it was before! That's why we are going to celebrate!" Orihime exclaimed.

Ulquiorra sighed knowing there was no such thing as winning against Orihime. "What did you have in mind?"

"That's the spirit! And I have some ideas but I figured since it's your birthday you can decide what we do! No cheating though! You can't say stay inside or something like that! We are going out somewhere!"

"…I have no preference then. Whichever one of your ideas is less of a walk in the snow is what we shall do."

"Alright, then it looks like we are going bowling! There's a new bowling alley in town a couple of blocks from here!"

With that, Orihime excused herself and rushed to her room to get ready as quick as possible. Closing the door to her bedroom, the girl hastily threw on her outfit, which she had planned a week prior. Since it was Ulquiorra's birthday, she wanted to wear something that she didn't typically. Thus, the girl put on a knee-length, silk white dress that had lace at the hems and a silver belt with jewels under the bust. It flowed perfectly with her curves and though she didn't want to brag, she knew she looked good in it. Orihime then ran her fingers quickly through her auburn locks of hair- which luckily she curled the night before to save some time- and made the messy curls look more refined. The girl then applied a thin layer of pink, shimmery lip gloss to her plump lips and just a bit of mascara to make her eyelashes pop more. She rarely wore makeup like this, but today was a must! Taking one last look in the mirror, the girl smiled at her appearance and grabbed her purse to head towards the boy waiting for her.

Ulquiorra waited patiently for Orihime to return. Though he wasn't fond of his birthday, he was glad to be spending the day with her. What made him even gladder was seeing Orihime enter the living room, dressed and ready to go. His eyes grew in shock and he had to stop his mouth from dropping open at the sight of her. The white dress was elegant and fit her body perfectly while her ringlets of auburn hair framed her face perfectly. Ulquiorra could see the sparkle on her lips and could see the heightened length of her eyelashes, making her gray eyes shine even more brightly than usual. " _I suppose birthdays are not as bad as I thought,"_ the boy thought to himself. Orihime truly did look breathtaking. Then the boy realized something which was sure to disappoint his girlfriend as it did with him.

"Orihime," Ulquiorra started, "it is snowing. You cannot possibly wear that."

Orihime's mouth hung in surprise. How had she not thought of that? "Oh darn it! You're right! I completely forgot about the snow! I planned this outfit perfectly too!" Her sparkling lips drooped down into a frown.

Ulquiorra sighed and stood from the couch. "I will choose your outfit today." He then walked past the shocked girl and straight into her bedroom- clearly he still didn't understand the concept of boundaries. Looking in the fairly small closet, he was surprised to see how much clothes Orihime had. Why did she need all of these different outfits when she had to wear uniforms for work and school most of the time anyway? Shrugging it off and assuming that it was simply a girl's state of mind, he resumed his mission of finding the girl an outfit she would be pleased with that was OK to wear in this sort of weather. His pale hands sorted through the jeans, sweats, and endless sweaters until they finally landed on a white blouse with ruffles. Pairing the blouse with a pair of faded jeans, he handed the two articles of clothing to his girlfriend. He then took out a long, light pink coat which completed the outfit. "There you go."

Orihime stared at the clothes in her hands. Though she didn't deem them to be as cute as her dress, they did match together and were surprisingly cute. Who knew Ulquiorra had such a great fashion sense? With that, she shooed her boyfriend out of her room and quickly got dressed for the second time that day. Once finished, the two finally left the warmth of the apartment into the cold streets of Karakura to go bowling.

* * *

"I'll take a pair of size six shoes, please," Orihime said to the male cashier, who was eyeing the girl up and down. "And Ulquiorra will take a size 10!"

The cashier looked past Orihime and found Ulquiorra standing behind her. The boy then sighed, clearly disappointed that the cute girl in front of him had a boyfriend. Noticing the deadly glare in Ulquiorra's emerald eyes, the scrawny employee quickly rang up their total and gave them their shoes. "Alright, you two are going to be on lane 12. H-Have fun!"

"Have you ever been bowling, Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked as she tied the laces of her shoes.

"Once when I was a child," the boy answered, typing in their names onto the machine. He then led the way to get a bowling ball. Picking up a green, 10 pound ball, he helped Orihime find a pink 8 pound ball. "Have you?"

"Yeah, I have! Sora and I used to go bowling almost every week! I don't really like to brag, but I think I'm pretty good! Since you've only played once, I know I'm going to win! I guess I can go a little easy on you though."

Ulquiorra narrowed his emerald eyes at the smirking girl in front of him. Was she challenging him? Sure he hadn't played a game since he was a child, but there was no way he was going to let her win after her snarky comments. She was going down.

Orihime was the one to go first. Grabbing the pink ball which her fingers fit into perfectly, she walked towards the stopping line. She then firmly planted her feet into the ground to make sure she didn't fall over, swung her arm back, and then thrust it forward, releasing the ball towards the pins. At first, the pink ball looked as though it was going to go into the gutter, but due to the twist Orihime gave it, the ball started going towards the center and finally hit the pins. The girl did well for her first try in years and managed to knock down 9 of the 10 pins, surprising the boy behind her. Grinning, Orihime went to get her ball back from the machine and try to knock down the last pin with her second turn. Luckily, the ball did knock it down, giving the girl a spare.

"Sorry, Ulquiorra! I tried to go easy on you but it looks like I can't help it!" Orihime said as she walked towards her boyfriend with a fake sympathetic look on her face which turned into a smirk. Ulquiorra was one of the few people to truly see her mischievous side.

"You are getting cocky, Orihime," Ulquiorra stated as he picked up the green ball. He didn't know what the ball was supposed to feel like in his hand, but guessed this ball was good enough. He then walked towards the stopping line and imitated Orihime's movements.

The green ball rolled towards the pins at a remarkable speed. It went straight down the center, straight, straight, straight, until finally it began to curve. Much to Ulquiorra's disappointment and irritation, the ball went straight into the gutter, not hitting any of the pins in the process. Scowling at what had happened, he walked back towards the machine and waited for his ball to return. Glaring at his girlfriend, who he could see was trying to suppress her laughter, he picked up his ball and tried again. Once again, it went straight down the line. At the last second, it began to curve, however. At least this time it knocked the right corner pin down before it went into the gutter.

" _Why must this damn ball make a fool out of me?"_ he thought as Orihime started her second frame. " _I did exactly what she did, so why is my ball not working? It must be the ball! There is no way it is my fault! However, it does seem to go to the right only. So, if I stand farther to the left rather than the center, it should hit the center pin in an angle and knock it down, forcing the others to fall as well. It is worth a shot… I cannot lose."_

Ulquiorra sighed as he saw Orihime jumping up and down in glee. Apparently she had just gotten a strike while he was thinking. Walking towards the line, ball in hand, the boy moved about two steps to the left and eyed the pins. Swinging his arm behind him and then throwing the ball in front, the ball did as he predicted and went straight into the center pin, knocking all of the pins down and giving him a strike as well. With a triumphant smirk on his face, he walked towards the cushioned bench where Orihime was seated, her mouth hung in surprise.

"It is your turn, Orihime," Ulquiorra coolly stated, enjoying the look of shock on her face. Yes, it had been years since he had played, but he refused to let her win.

* * *

"I can't believe you ended up beating me, Ulquiorra!" Orihime exclaimed as the two walked hand-in-hand back to her apartment. "And how in the world did you manage to get 11 strikes in a row when you got a gutter-ball on the first frame! I think you cheated!"

"How could I have cheated? It is a simple game that requires basic thinking and athletic abilities. There is no way I could have cheated," Ulquiorra replied.

The two bickered the entire way to Orihime's apartment in a fashion similar to Ichigo and Rukia's bickering, though Ulquiorra was more reserved. Reaching the door, Ulquiorra could clearly hear something was knocked over inside the apartment. Grabbing Orihime's hand tightly, he stopped her from touching the doorknob just in time.

"Orihime," he started in a low whisper, "there is somebody in your apartment, probably a burglar. We must call the cops."

At first Orihime stared at him with wide eyes and was fearful at the thought of a burglar being in her apartment. That is, until she remembered who was _actually_ in there. "Oh, well, I guess we should stop him huh? There's no time to call the cops, lets go!"

"Orihime, do not be ridiculous!" His words failed to stop the girl, however, as she quickly threw open the door. She ran into the dark apartment, Ulquiorra chasing after her.

"SURPRISE!" Ulquiorra heard from the living room.

The lights were suddenly turned on as Ulquiorra faced the crowd of classmates and family members that were scattered in the living room. Not including Ulquiorra and Orihime, there were nine others in the cramped apartment, making it seem even smaller than usual. Rukia and Tatsuki stood holding streamers, toothy grins on their faces. Nnoitra was hovering over Grimmjow and Ichigo, who were currently wrestling on the floor next to a now broken vase- which Ulquiorra inferred was what he heard fall earlier. Sado and Uryu stood awkwardly, the latter sighing at Ichigo and Grimmjow's stupidity while wondering why exactly he had to be there. Kyoko and Takeshi were standing far from the two that were sprawled on the floor, wondering if they should stop them or not.

"Ridiculous," was all that Ulquiorra could say. He then looked at his girlfriend, who was beaming at him with a bright smile. "You know that I am not fond of surprises."

Orihime shrugged. "Well, you aren't fond of birthdays either, but you went bowling with me so I figured I could get away with this too!"

"Just let your girl do something nice, will ya?" Takeshi said, walking towards the couple. "We haven't celebrated your birthday in years, just let us have this one day."

"Your father is right, Ulquiorra," Kyoko said, giving him a warm smile. "This is our first time celebrating it together. I was so glad when Orihime called and told us her plans! You've got a really special girl by your side, make sure to keep her!"

Ulquiorra sighed, knowing there was no winning against the combination of his girlfriend and his parents. The group then sang happy birthday to him as he sat awkwardly, wishing they would all leave already. They then began to munch on the delicious, vanilla cake that Kyoko made. It was a two layer cake with vanilla frosting and strawberries around the edge. In the center written in green icing read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ULQUIORRA!"

Next it was time to open presents. Ulquiorra was surprised to find that everybody in the room got him a gift, especially since he only liked two of them not including Orihime and his parents. Eyeing the smaller gifts that were neatly wrapped in pink wrapping paper that he saw was from Orihime, he decided to save them for last. Instead, he picked up a rectangular present in blue wrapping paper. Inspecting it, he found that it was from Uryu. Ripping the wrapping paper off in a neat fashion, he found that it was a jade sweater that matched his eyes. It was definitely thick enough to keep him warm during that cold winter. Despite the fact that he didn't like Uryu- particularly because he was aware of his feelings towards Orihime- Ulquiorra found that he actually liked the sweater.

"I made it myself," Uryu stated, pushing back his glasses. "Make sure to try it on to see if it fits later. If it doesn't I can do some adjustments to it."

Ulquiorra dipped his head slightly in a nod. "…Thank you."

Next was a small, rectangular box wrapped in red wrapping paper. Ulquiorra quickly noticed it wasn't as neatly wrapped as Uryu's was and assumed it was Ichigo's, but found that instead it was from Sado. Quickly opening it so he could hurry up and open his gifts from Orihime, the boy pulled out a small bat plushie. Looking towards the tall and silent man, he waited for an explanation.

"I saw it in a game machine and spent hours trying to get it," Sado finally replied after long seconds of awkward silence. Ulquiorra simply nodded in thanks, knowing that the tanned boy didn't talk as much either and moved on.

Next was a combined gift from Ichigo and Rukia. It was another rectangular box, this time wrapped in white wrapping paper with bunnies printed on it- Ulquiorra assumed Rukia chose the paper. Ripping the paper off, he found that it was manga of a series he never heard of.

"Thank you," Ulquiorra respectfully said, though he didn't like the gift at all. He never read manga before and nothing was going to change that. Though he didn't blame them, after all they didn't even know each other. " _They were probably forced to come by Orihime."_

"You don't like it, huh?" Ichigo asked, reading the expression on his face easily. "I at least got the action-packed series instead of the romantic one Rukia was looking at."

As Ichigo and his petite girlfriend bickered about the choice of the present, Ulquiorra sighed and moved on, picking up a thin present from Grimmjow and Nnoitra. The boy could hear the two trying to stifle their laughter. Opening the present, a look of disgust covered his face as he quickly threw it into the trash. He then punched his two friends in the stomach, irritated by their endless laughter.

"Ulquiorra, why did you throw it away!?" Orihime asked confused. "What was it?"

Grimmjow, who was clutching his gut from the pain, answered, "It was a dirty magazine. We figured he'd like it but I guess not! You know, Ulquiorra, you didn't have punch that hard!" The blue-haired teen let out a yelp of pain as Tatsuki elbowed him in the back, sending him to the floor.

"Idiot," she mumbled. The karate-loving girl then handed Ulquiorra the present she got him.

Ulquiorra was anxious to open it, fearing it would be a bomb or something of the sort. He knew that Tatsuki wasn't ecstatic about his relationship with Orihime and wouldn't be surprised if the present was a contraption she made to kill him. Taking a deep breath, the dark-haired boy slowly peeled away at the silver wrapping paper. He was then shocked to find a scrapbook with the words "You're Welcome" on the cover.

"As I recall," Ulquiorra started, "you and I do not have any pictures together, and I would like to keep it that way."

"Just look inside the damn thing before you say something snarky like that!" Tatsuki exclaimed, ready to pounce on the ungrateful guy in front of her.

Ulquiorra did as he was told and found countless photos of Orihime. There were some selfies and pictures of when she was a kid, when she met Tatsuki and the others, her and Sora, and many more memories. She looked beautiful in each of them.

"I figured you could fill up the rest of the pages with your guys' own memories," Tatsuki said, a wide grin on her face.

"…Thank you. I would have to say this is my favorite so far," Ulquiorra replied.

Next was the thin present from his parents, who watched anxiously as he removed the wrapping paper- probably because this was the first present they bought him in years considering he refused to accept them before. Ulquiorra was stunned when he found that it was an expensive laptop. He looked up at his parents, wondering why they would spend so much money on him when he had been such a terrible son.

Takeshi rubbed his head awkwardly and said, "With all the reading you do, we figured you might wanna actually write your own story someday, and you need a computer for that. It's also for schoolwork! And you better not get any viruses on it!"

"Happy birthday, Ulquiorra," Kyoko said as she gave him a hug. "Words can't describe how precious this moment is to me."

"…Thank you. I will make sure not to break it," Ulquiorra replied, placing the expensive technology back on the table.

Now it was time to open his presents from Orihime, something he had been waiting for that whole night. The boy looked at his girlfriend and could see that she was nervous. No matter what she got him, Ulquiorra knew he would cherish it for the rest of his life. Taking the smallest box into his hands, he removed the lid and found two small cellphone charms and a phone case. The case was of course an emerald color to match his eyes while the two charms were of a bat and a cupcake.

"I-I got the bat to be of yourself and the cupcake to remind you of me," the girl stated, her face becoming warm as color was rising in her cheeks.

Ulquiorra simply nodded and picked up the next box, this one being bigger than the last. Removing the pink wrapping paper, he found three documentaries piled on top of each other.

"It's because I know you don't like the romance movies I watch, so I figured we could take turns!" Orihime informed him.

Finally, Ulquiorra picked up the last present. It was heavy in his hands. Tearing away the paper for the last time that night, Ulquiorra's eyes widened at what laid in his hands. He stared at the old book in front of him, running his fingers over the hardcover and spine of it. Opening it, he found his assumption of the book was correct.

"Orihime, this is…" Ulquiorra said, unable to finish his sentence due to the shock.

Orihime giggled and said, "Yep! It's the first ever edition of the book I saw you reading the day I met you, signed and everything by the author! It took me a bunch of time to find it and I had to negotiate on the price a bit, but I got it!"

"You should not have gotten this for me. This must have cost you a fortune."

"It was a bit pricey, but luckily you don't read popular books so it wasn't as expensive as it could've been! Do you like it?"

Ulquiorra stood up from the table and walked towards the girl. Raising his arms up, he wrapped them around Orihime and pulled her into a tight hug. The two stayed like this for what seemed like hours, forgetting that there were other people in the room with them. Once Tatsuki coughed to remind them they weren't alone, Ulquiorra released his hold on Orihime.

"These gifts are now my most prized possessions. Thank you, Orihime," the dark-haired boy said.

Orihime smiled widely at him in reply, glad that he loved the gifts. With that, everybody began to clean up and head to their respectful homes, except for Ulquiorra and his parents.

"We'll wait for you in the car," Takeshi told Ulquiorra. "Thanks Orihime for letting us come over today!"

Finally, it was just Ulquiorra and Orihime in the apartment, which now wasn't as cramped. Emerald bore into gray as they couldn't remove their gazes from each other. Ulquiorra felt genuinely happy, and it was all thanks to the girl in front of him. He never imagined celebrating his birthday since the death of his mother, but Orihime made anything possible. She brought happiness into his world and he knew he couldn't let it go.

" _I guess birthdays are not bad at all."_


	18. Chapter 18

**AN:** Sorry it took a while to update! School is killing me haha! Anyways, this is sort of a messy chapter. I had ideas that were just hard for me to write! Hope you enjoy anyways!

Chapter 18

Orihime woke up with a bright smile on her face. Hopping out of bed with incredible speed, she hastily made her way into the kitchen and pulled out all of the ingredients she would need that day. Despite the weight of the frozen turkey she pulled from the freezer, the girl lifted the dead bird with ease thanks to the help of the excitement and adrenaline. She's been waiting months for this day to arrive, and now here it was: Christmas.

Of course it was Orihime's favorite holiday, how could it not be? Giving and receiving presents and laughing amongst your closest friends, there was nothing better she could think of. Needing to let the turkey thaw before she could stuff and cook it, she rushed to her room to get ready for the rest of her day. Removing the fluffy pajamas she was wearing, Orihime threw on a festive sweater adorned with reindeers Christmas lights sewed in. She also put on a pair of black leggings to match and brushed her long mane of orange hair. Orihime then finished the outfit by putting on a Santa hat. Finally ready to leave, the girl sat in front of her brother's shrine and began to pray, just as she did every holiday.

"Hi, Onii-san! Guess what! It's Christmas! I got my friends some presents and now I am officially out of spending money! But that's OK because it's CHRISTMAS! Gosh, you know how much I love this day! Hot cocoa, friends, presents, decorations, everything is perfect! The only thing missing is you, Onii-san. I love you and wish you the merriest Christmas of all! I gotta go now, bye!" With that, the girl rushed out of her apartment into the snowy outside world.

" _I just gotta make sure to come back in a couple of hours to check on the turkey!"_

Walking with a big bag thrown over her shoulder, Orihime excitedly neared her first destination: Sado's apartment. Since the two didn't live too far from each other, it didn't take long and the girl could feel her excitement grow. Knocking gently three times, she waited patiently until the tanned man finally opened the door, expecting her to come just as she did every year. Letting herself into the apartment, Orihime took in a deep breath and could smell brownies being baked.

"Merry Christmas, Sado-kun!" Orihime finally announced as she took a seat on the couch. Heaving the heavy sack in front of her, she pulled out a small box covered in red wrapping paper with Santa printed all over it in different poses.

"Merry Christmas, Inoue," the quiet boy replied with a gentle smile on his face. Though the two didn't talk as much as Orihime did with her other friends, she still considered Sado to be one of her best friends and knew she could count on him in times of need.

Thus, she handed him the small box and waited eagerly for him to open it. The girl watched as Sado removed the paper gently, tearing off individual pieces of tape, rather than ripping it off like others would have. He always was a little weird, though. Finally finished, Sado lifted the cover of the box to reveal a belt. Not just any belt. No, this was a belt custom made to look like he had just become the new wrestling champion. Was it tacky? Maybe, but her friend loved it regardless.

"Thanks, Inoue! I'll wear this to the party later," Sado said. The two then talked for a while until the timer on the oven signaled that the brownies were ready. Taking that as a sign to move to her next destination, Orihime said her goodbyes and headed out the door, on her way to see Uryu.

Uryu's house was a bit farther than Orihime would have liked, but she kept a smile plastered to her face as she walked through the foot of snow. Uryu's house was fairly nice, bigger and fancier than Ichigo's and even Ulquiorra's. This wasn't surprising considering his dad was a renowned doctor in Karakura Town and even other parts of Japan. Finally reaching the door, she rang the doorbell until Uryu's father opened it. The strict doctor stared at the girl for a few moments, wondering why somebody like her would be friends with his son. Shrugging it off, he welcomed Orihime inside and let her find her way to the living room where Uryu was sitting.

"Hello, Ishida-kun!" Orihime happily greeted, an excited smile glued to her face. "Merry Christmas!"

The dark-haired teen pushed his glasses up- something Orihime figured was an unconscious movement- and gave Orihime a warm smile. "Merry Christmas, Inoue-san. I am glad you seem to be enjoying this holiday. Ryuuken has been doing nothing but lecturing me to continue with the family business, as always."

"That's because he cares about you! But if your Christmas isn't going by nicely, maybe this present can cheer you up!"

Orihime then handed her dear friend a bulky present, wrapped in the same wrapping paper as Sado's and everyone else's. Uryu smiled as he took the present in his hands and began to tear away at the paper. Realizing that it was a brand new sewing set with precise needles and many different colored threads, his face lit up and he forgot all about his father's persistent nagging.

"Wow, Inoue-san!" he exclaimed, taking one of the sharp needles in his hand. "These needles are so precise and the fabric is much easier to thread! Thank you!"

Orihime giggled at her friend. Uryu was usually quiet and reserved, but when it came to sewing, he was just as perky and bright as she was. "I'm glad you like it! I've gotta head out now, make sure to spend time with your dad!" As she was about to leave, she decided to say one last thing to her friend, "You know, Ishida-kun, doctors use thread and needles all the time to sew patients back up. You are very good at it and love doing it, so maybe your dad is right to push you towards the family business." With that, the girl left, leaving a stunned Uryu to replay her words over and over again.

Now heading towards the Kuchiki manor to deliver her present to Rukia, Orihime felt herself losing energy. Glancing at the time on her phone, she realized almost an hour has passed already, and she still needed to visit four more people, go home and prepare the turkey, and clean her apartment for the Christmas party she was throwing later! Her day was definitely jam-packed and she hoped she would be able to finish everything needed. Finally reaching the huge Kuchiki manor, Orihime stared at the breathtaking scenery ahead of her. The Kuchiki manor was always beautiful, but in the winter it just seemed so much more elegant. Knocking on the door, she was surprised to hear Rukia come from the side.

"Oh, you're here, Inoue!" Rukia said as she walked towards the girl.

Orihime ran towards the petite girl and gave her a tight hug. "Rukia! I haven't seen you since Ulquiorra's party! Oh, Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you too! Is my present in there!?"

"Of course it is!"

Orihime then placed the red sack in front of her and pulled out a Christmas themed gift bag which was stuffed with blue and white paper to hide the present. Handing it to her dark-haired friend, Orihime watched excitedly, knowing that she would love it. Rukia reached into the bag and her eyes grew after feeling something soft.

"No way," she said, prompting Orihime to giggle.

"Yes way!"

Rukia then pulled out a medium sized plushie of Chappy the rabbit adorned in a Santa costume. The petite girl squealed and hugged the stuffed animal tightly. That particular plushie was one of the hardest Chappy the rabbit plushies to come by considering it was limited edition. Orihime always had strong connections, however, that always confused her friends at what she managed to get.

"Thank you so much, Inoue! It's the cutest thing I've ever seen! I can't believe you managed to get your hands on this! I love it so much!" Rukia then hugged her dear friend tightly before remembering she was just out grocery shopping. "Oh, shoot! I would love to stay and chat but I have to get ready for the party! I'm on yam duty this year!"

With that, Orihime said her goodbyes and was on her way, heaving the now not-so-heavy bag over her shoulder throughout Karakura Town towards Ichigo's house. Three months ago, Orihime's face would have been tomato red going to Ichigo's house, but now it was different. Though it was weird considering she used to like him, the girl considered him to be like a brother to her. Ringing the doorbell, she smiled at the thought of not getting butterflies when she thought of Ichigo anymore. She had finally moved on, just like she wanted.

"Oh, Inoue, you're here early this year," Ichigo said as he opened the door. "Come on in, I'm having Yuzu make the macaroni and cheese for later."

"Kurosaki-kun, you should be making it, not Yuzu-chan!" Orihime exclaimed in a motherly fashion.

"Yeah, yeah. You know I can't cook!"

The two orange-haired teens laughed together in perfect harmony. Reminded of her limited time, Orihime quickly threw the sack onto the couch and pulled out a huge box which was bigger than all of the presents she was delivering that day. Ichigo grabbed it from her after seeing her struggle with the weight and was curious as to what it was. Quickly tearing away at the paper, he found that it was a long and thick wooden sword painted to look like a real sword.

"I heard from Tatsuki you're spending more time in kendo club lately and love to spar with the wooden swords! So I figured I'd get you your own! There's this cool shop in the next town over that sells a bunch of different swords and weapons! Get this, they all have their own names!"

"Names?" Ichigo asked, looking down at the sword in his hand. The weight and size of it were perfect for him. "What's this one's name?"

Orihime looked at the tag that was hanging from the handle. "Zangetsu, I guess!"

"Zangetsu, huh? I kinda like the sound of that!"

"Onii-san, I need your help draining the water!" the two teens heard Yuzu cry out from the kitchen.

Orihime took that as her cue to leave and gave a quick hug to her friend and said goodbye to Yuzu and Karin before rushing out of the warm house into the streets of Karakura. It was getting a bit warmer as time passed, relieving the shivering girl. Though she loved winter, the foot of snow was really slowing her down.

" _I have to hurry up and finish so that I can stuff the turkey for the party!"_ Practically running towards Tatsuki's house, Orihime was relieved to feel the weight of the sack was drastically decreased. " _I don't remember Kurosaki-kun's sword being that heavy when I bought it!"_ Finally reaching the small house she had been rushing to, Orihime sighed and gave herself some time to rest before knocking on the door.

Tatsuki's mom opened the door and greeted Orihime with a bright smile. "Orihime," she started, "it's so good to see you! It's been so long! Wow, your hair really is growing longer, it's so beautiful. I wish Tatsuki would grow her hair out like yours!"

"What are you going on about now, mom?" the spikey-haired teen asked as she walked towards the two. "Oh, you're here, Orihime! C'mon let's go to my room!"

The two girls then ran excitedly to Tatsuki's room just as they always had since they were kids. Orihime had so many fond memories in this house after Sora died. In fact, she had once stayed here for two whole weeks during summer break because her apartment was too lonely. Everything was much homier here; there were picture frames scattered around, Tatsuki's trophies were like prized possessions, and even her drawings from when she was a child were still on the refrigerator. Orihime remembered the first time she came over to Tatsuki's house. At first her parents were reluctant letting her go back to her apartment alone, but they eventually agreed so long as Orihime came over if she didn't have food. As the girl sat on Tatuski's mattress, she reached into the almost empty sack and pulled out a square box.

Tatsuki eyed the medium-sized present and gave her dear friend a toothy grin. Orihime was by far the best gift-giver she, or anyone else for that matter, had ever met. Quickly tearing away the paper, the dark-haired teen opened the box and relished at the sight in front of her. Sitting in the white, ordinary shoe box was a pair of boxing gloves made of the finest material. Her name was largely stitched at the hem so anyone watching could see.

"Orihime, these are amazing!" the girl cried out as she tried the gloves on. "Wow, these things are definitely gonna help me kick some major ass!"

The auburn-haired girl giggled as she watched Tatsuki punch into the air to test the weight. "I'm glad you like them! Make sure you wear them when you become a boxing champion!"

"As long as you are right there beside me!" The two girls giggled and shared a long embrace. "I'm guessing you gotta head over to Schiffer's right? I'll walk you out!"

Orihime handed Tatsuki's parents a box of assorted chocolates she made specifically for them, just as she did every Christmas as a token of appreciation for taking care of her since she was a child. Giving Tatsuki one last hug, she scurried into the snow once again, this time heading for her boyfriend's house. The girl squinted up at the sun, noticing how warm it was getting. The snowy days of Karakura were definitely going to come to an end soon, but the girl was glad they were at least lucky enough to have a white Christmas. Orihime sighed with relief as she neared Ulquiorra's fancy house. Even with the snow piled around the house still looked refined and elegant. Ringing the doorbell once, the girl waited patiently and smiled at Kyoko who had promptly answered.

"Orihime, what a surprise!" the petite lady exclaimed, hurrying the teen into the house. "Ulquiorra didn't tell me you were coming over today!"  
Orihime giggled and replied, "That's because I didn't tell him! It was kind of a surprise! Oh, this is for you and Takeshi-san!" The girl then handed Kyoko a box of coconut cupcakes.

"Orihime?" she heard coming from the stairs. It was none other than Ulquiorra, who was wearing the green sweater Uryu made him and black pajama pants. On top of his head was a Santa hat, which he was probably forced to wear by Kyoko. "Did you walk here through the snow?"

"Merry Christmas, Ulquiorra! And yes I did! I always go out on Christmas to give everyone a present!"

"But it is snowing. I can tell your pants are soaked. How long have you been doing this?"

"Umm, let's see… Since 9 o'clock!"

Ulquiorra sighed at the girl's antics. He stopped caring about Christmas just as he did his birthday after his mother died. To him, it was any other winter day. However, he should've expected something like this from his quirky girlfriend. "Let's go to my room. It is warmer there."

Orihime waved to Kyoko and followed Ulquiorra into his room, which was still bland with no decorations whatsoever. Plopping herself onto his bed, the girl gazed at the boy standing in front of her, obviously waiting for an explanation. Patting next to her on the bed, she waited for Ulquiorra to sit before she reached into the sack for his present.

"Orihime," Ulquiorra started, "you should not have burdened yourself with getting me a Christmas present. I am sure I told you not to because you spent too much on me for my birthday."

"Don't worry, Ulquiorra. I actually made you some stuff instead of buying you something!"

The green-eyed boy stared curiously at the rectangular present in front of him. After being encouraged by Orihime to open it, he gently tore away the wrapping paper and smiled. It was a big picture frame with a collage of their pictures together. His favorite picture was when they were at the bakery and Orihime playfully smeared frosting onto his face as she snapped the picture. Her triumphant smirk was too irresistible. Ulquiorra faced his girlfriend, who was seemingly nervous watching him open his present, and planted a kiss on her forehead as thanks.

Orihime smiled and said, "There's one more! This one may be a little embarrassing, but I spent a lot of time on it!" The girl then reached into the sack and pulled out a huge banner which was practically dunked in pink glitter. The words "I LOVE YOU" were written in the center in huge, bubbly letters followed by a red heart.

Ulquiorra's eyes hurt looking at all of the sparkles and bright colors, but was happy nonetheless. Just having Orihime as his girlfriend was enough of a Christmas present for him. "Is this because my room is too _boring?"_

"Yep!" Orihime answered with a playful smirk on her face. She then let out a squeal as she was tackled back onto the bed by Ulquiorra.

"I cannot just let you get away with saying such things about my bedroom. I demand an apology."

"Well you aren't getting one!"

The two then playfully wrestled on the bed, Ulquiorra overpowering Orihime with ease. Pinning her arms above her, Ulquiorra smirked and bore his green eyes into her gray orbs. He then leaned toward her and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

"Apologize."

"N-Never!"

Moving his lips toward the girl's ear, he gave it a light kiss and relished in the soft gasp that escaped her lips. Though she would never admit it, Ulquiorra knew this was one of her weak spots.

"Now will you apologize?"

"Y-You are cheating! That's not fair!"

Ulquiorra smirked and slowly made his way towards her neck. Placing a light kiss, he could feel her trembling from his touch. He continued kissing her smooth skin all over until Orihime finally gave in.

"A-Alright you win!" The boy triumphantly released her wrists and sat up, letting Orihime back up. "Cheater. Oh, shoot! I forgot I have to go make the turkey for the party later! Do you think you can come over later too?"

Ulquiorra grabbed Orihime's warm hand and stood up. "Do not be ridiculous. As if I would let you walk home by yourself. I will help you make the turkey so that it is edible."

With that, the two hopped into Ulquiorra's car, which still managed to look nice after being covered in snow, and were on their way to Orihime's apartment. Once they reached their destination rather quickly since it seemed nobody was out that day, they hurried inside to set everything up for the party. Ulquiorra did the cleaning while Orihime stuffed the turkey- Ulquiorra chose the stuffing so that everybody could actually eat it. Hours passed and the place finally looked spotless and the turkey was finally cooked. The only thing missing being their friends.

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Orihime rushed to get it while Ulquiorra sat in his usual spot on the couch. The boy's head started to ache when he heard the cheery voices of all of Orihime's friends. He could easily handle Sado, why couldn't the rest be quiet like him?

Orihime welcomed her friends, who were all bringing in the food they were making, excitedly just as she did every year. This party was a tradition for all of them, and now she had a boyfriend to invite as well. Tatsuki was the one that suggested it so that Orihime wouldn't be alone every year, and though the orange-haired girl protested at first for stealing them away from their families on an important day, she was definitely happy to not be alone. This Christmas was definitely going to be her favorite. Eyeing the boxes in all of her friends' hands, the girl gasped.

"Are those for me!?" she asked excitedly, resembling a child.

"Of course they are!" Tatsuki answered. "We are saving mine for last though because it's the best! Open Ichigo's, I'm sure he's a terrible gift-giver." Tatsuki ignored the deadly glares she was receiving from her carrot-headed friend.

"Inoue," Sado started, handing her a small box, "open mine." He never was one with words.

The gray-eyed girl took the present in her hand and gave the tanned boy a grateful smile. Opening it, she found a phone case designed with different kinds of cupcakes and a gift card to her favorite ice cream parlor in town.

"Sado-kun, these are amazing! Thank you so much!" Orihime exclaimed as she put her new phone case onto her phone. She then hugged the boy and continued onto her next gift.

Picking up a Christmas themed bag covered in glittery snowflakes, Orihime looked at the tag and saw it was from Uryu. Having a feeling at what it was, the girl slowly dug into the bag to confirm her guess. She was right in the end. Pulling out a warm, pastel yellow sweater out of the bag, she inspected the stitching carefully and admired the small dandelion he stitched over the chest. Knitted sweaters were his signature present after all.

"I chose yellow because it goes with your hair nicely," Uryu stated, pushing his glasses up in his signature move. "And I just stitched the flower earlier using the kit you gave me. I hope you like it."

"Uryu I love it! You always were the best in arts and crafts club!" The girl then gave her friend a hug, just as she did with Sado.

Ulquiorra cringed at the sight. Sure he could handle her hugging Sado considering he deemed him a respectable man. But with Uryu it was different. He actually had feelings for her. Uryu noticed the dark-haired boy glaring at him and began to throw his own daggers as well.

Orihime went on to the next present, unaware of the silent war going on between Ulquiorra and Uryu. Picking up a medium-sized box- which she could immediately tell was from Rukia considering the Chappy-the-rabbit wrapping paper- the girl happily opened it to find a plushie shaped like a mayonnaise bottle with a cute face on the wrapper. Though it may have been a surprising gift to everyone else, this was Orihime and Rukia's tradition for presents. Orihime would get Rukia a Chappy stuffed animal while Rukia would give Orihime a plushie that was food related.

"Wow, Rukia! Mr. Mayonnaise here will go great with Mr. Ketchup and Mrs. Mustard!"

"And don't forget Mr. Wasabi!" Rukia exclaimed. The two girls laughed and hugged each other.

"Alright, it's my turn!" Ichigo said, handing Orihime a box that was bigger than the rest. "This present is pretty awesome if I say so myself!"

Orihime eyed the box excitedly. Despite what Tatsuki had said earlier, Ichigo was in fact an excellent gift-giver. Though the box was rather big, it wasn't heavy at all. The girl tore away at the plain, orange wrapping paper and threw the lid off of the box and gasped at the sight in front of her. In the box was an absolutely stunning kimono, red in color with cherry blossoms scattered around. The hems were white to give it extra color and pop. The silk was incredibly smooth and she could tell it was made by a professional.

"K-Kurosaki-kun… This is so beautiful I can't believe you got this for me! This must've cost you a fortune!" the girl exclaimed as she happily took the kimono into her hands.

"I figured that since I got another job the other day and some kids are paying me to join the soccer club I could get everyone something nice this year. It's so you can wear it for New Years," Ichigo stated as he warmly smiled at the girl. The two then shared a quick hug as Orihime continued to run her hands over the silk.

Ulquiorra felt his heart beating faster as he fought the urge to lunge at the carrot-headed boy hugging his girlfriend. Though he knew Orihime loved only him now and didn't hold any feelings towards Ichigo beyond friendship, he knew he would never get over the anger he felt when the two came in contact.

" _I guess I should let this one slide since it is Christmas afterall,"_ he thought, calming himself down.

Orihime then picked up a small box from Tatsuki as the spiky-haired girl watched with anticipation. Clearly she thought she bought something good. Just then, the grey-eyed girl let out a squeal, nearly giving Ulquiorra a heart attack with worry.

"No way, Tatsuki! Is this for real!?" Orihime asked as she literally jumped with joy.

"Hell yeah they are! Two tickets to your favorite band! So make sure you ask your boss, Kisuke, for those days off, alright?"

The two best friends then shared a long embrace that was so tight, Ulquiorra worried they were going to die from suffocation. Soon enough, the group began to feast on all of the food they brought, glad that Ulquiorra was there this year so that Orihime's turkey wasn't turned into a deadly concoction as it did the years prior. They talked, gossiped, laughed, and had the time of their lives just as they did every year. Eventually, they all began to clean up and head to their respective homes, besides Ulquiorra, who stayed a little longer for his own reasons.

"Orihime," he started as he gently grabbed the girl's wrist to pull her closer, "I got you a gift as well."

Orihime was surprised considering Ulquiorra wasn't fond of Christmas. "Oh, Ulquiorra, you didn't have to do that! Being with you is all I need!"

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I did not get the girl I loved a gift?" The emerald-eyed boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a very tiny box, unwrapped and plain, just like his room. He then handed it to the girl and said, "Open it."

Orihime did as she was told and opened the box to find sparkly jewelry. Picking up one of the pieces, she found it was an elegant necklace with a big, blue gem in the middle surrounded by small diamonds. Matching earrings also sat in the box. While Orihime was no expert when it came to jewelry, she could tell that these were all real and had to have cost a fortune.

"Ulquiorra, these are so stunning and beautiful but there's no way I can accept these! They are way too expensive! Especially when I only _made_ you stuff!" the girl said, disappointing the boy in front of her.

"Do not worry about price, Orihime. You are the woman I love, therefore you deserve the most luxurious things. And if that does not reassure you, think of it as both a birthday and Christmas present." Ulquiorra then lifted his pale hands and pushed Orihime's hair out of the way to put the necklace on. The jewels sparkled magnificently under the Christmas lights. "Do you know what this gem here is?" the boy asked as he pointed to the blue rock in the center. Seeing Orihime shake her head in response, he answered, "It is sapphire, your birthstone. It also matches the hairpins your brother gave you, though it is much darker in color."

Orihime's eyes teared up as she hugged Ulquiorra with the strength of gods. "Ulquiorra, this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever gotten me. I love them all so much, but not as much as I love you. I'm so happy I get to spend Christmas with you."

"And there will be many more to come. Merry Christmas, Orihime."

"Merry Christmas, Ulquiorra."


	19. Chapter 19

**AN:** Hi guys! School is currently kicking my butt, so updates are going to be slow! But summer break is starting soon so I'll be back on top for that! Please review!

Chapter 19

Orihime woke up that morning with a sad smile on her face. Snow was still piled outside that day, though nobody was playing in it. Instead, people were out and about with their families, celebrating New Year's Eve together just as they should've been. Orihime had no family, however, and this day always served as a reminder of that. The girl did her morning routine: stretching and getting ready to greet the day with a smile. She refused to mope around in the house like she did when she first lost Sora. Luckily, the bakery was closed just as every other shops in town were. Thus, she decided to visit the shrines like everybody else did and would volunteer her time helping out at a soup kitchen. Before leaving on her journey, Orihime knelt by her brother's shrine and began to pray.

"Hello, Onii-san!" she exclaimed with a bright smile despite her sadness. "It's New Year's Eve today, how exciting! Remember when we used to wake up early and get all dressed up to go to the shrines? And then we would pull our fortunes, mine was always bad luck! My favorite part though was when we would watch Disney movies until right before midnight, and right when the New Year started we would jump off of boxes since we didn't have stairs as a sign of good luck! Wow, everything was just so much fun when you were here! Now it's a little lonely, but I have so many friends to get me through the day!"

A faint blush then appeared on the girls cheeks as she continued, "As I'm sure you know, since you are watching over me and all, I've also got an umm… _boyfriend_ now. His name is Ulquiorra, and at first he was such a grouch, so mean and unenergetic! He still is a bit of a grouch now, but he is kind to me and makes me happy. I love him, Onii-san. I wish you could've met him. I'm sure you would've been over-protective like my friends, but then you would've seen all of the great qualities he has! Anyways, I hope you are doing well, Onii-san. I'll be thinking of you all day! Make sure to have fun wherever you are!"

With that, Orihime wiped away the few tears that escaped from her eyes and slipped out the door. Walking in the kimono Ichigo bought her for Christmas was hard, seeing as how she was too concentrated on not letting it drag in the snow. At least the clogs she wore added a bit of height to make it easier. Luckily, the snow was quickly turning to slush as the sun started to shine above, melting it slowly but surely. Walking up the many stairs to the shrine was Orihime's biggest challenge that day, especially since the kimono didn't give much leg room. However, when she finally made it, the girl let out a sigh of relief and scurried toward the crowded temple.

"Orihime, is that you?" the orange-haired girl heard from the crowd. "It is you! Hi, Orihime! This way, dear!"

Orihime whipped her head in many directions before her eyes finally found Kyoko standing in the crowd waving furiously at her. The petite woman was also in a kimono, though hers was a deep shade of purple with stars scattered around. Her medium length dark hair was in a fancy bun on top of her head, just as Orihime's was. Squinting, Orihime could see light makeup on the woman as well.

"Oh, hello, Kyoko-san!" Orihime greeted with a warm smile and a respectful bow. "Are you hear to pull your fortune too?"

"Of course! It's the most exciting thing about New Years, after all! Takeshi and I haven't been able to celebrate in years because Ulquiorra never wanted to leave the house or spend time with us and we weren't going to just leave him alone. Which is why I'm so grateful to have you in our lives now, Orihime! If it weren't for you, Ulquiorra probably wouldn't have started talking to us and would be locked up in his room right now! I mean, since you came along we've celebrated his birthday, Christmas, and now we are celebrating New Years! I feel so blessed!"

Orihime was surprised to hear Kyoko's remarks. Sure, she knew Ulquiorra's relationship with his parents was strained before she met him, but she never imagined it to be _that_ bad. A faint blush spread across her cheeks realizing how much they changed and completed each other.

"Wait," the auburn-haired girl started, "does that mean Ulquiorra is here too?"

"Of course! He and his father went to buy us some snacks while I wait in this line to pull our fortunes! Though it doesn't really look like a line and I've been standing here for a while now… Oh well! Did you want to see him, dear?"

"I-I wouldn't want to intrude on your family time-"

"Don't be silly! There wouldn't even be family time if it weren't for you! As far as I'm concerned, you are part of our family! Don't think I'm going to let you spend this day alone!"

Orihime nodded gratefully and could feel a special kind of warmth in her stomach due to Kyoko's words. The girl fought back happy tears, deciding today was a happy day, there would be no crying!

" _Part of their family, huh? It does sound nice having a family again."_

Just then, Orihime could see Takeshi pushing through the crowd of people to walk towards them. Behind the sturdy man was none other than Ulquiorra. Once the two's eyes made contact, a visible blush made its way to both of their cheeks. The boy's dark hair matched his montsuki perfectly and his emerald eyes were a refreshing splash of color amongst the black and white. Orihime never imagined seeing Ulquiorra in something so formal considering it wasn't his style at all. He truly was handsome in every sense, even Ichigo couldn't compare when she had a crush on him.

Ulquiorra's breath stopped when his eyes landed on Orihime. Her long locks of auburn hair, the ones that he had quickly fallen in love with, were tied elegantly into a neat bun on top of her hair, decorated by both the hair clips Sora had given her and a shiny hair piece above her bun. He could see light makeup on her face, though she didn't need it at all. Though he was jealous when Ichigo handed her such a lavish gift, the boy was so glad he did after seeing her dressed in the kimono. The sleeves went past her hands just a bit, giving her a hint of cuteness while the rest of the silk robe fell graciously beside her. The deep, dark red color of the kimono made her hair look like fire, so bright and intense. Ulquiorra knew he would have to sneak a picture of her later.

"Orihime," the boy started after clearing his throat, "what are you doing here?"

"I was gonna pull out a fortune and pray! Then I ran into Kyoko-san and she invited me to spend the day with you guys! I-Is that OK with you?"

Ulquiorra sighed and answered, "You do not need to ask that. Of course it is fine with me."

Takeshi finally joined the conversation by saying, "Orihime, you look very lovely. How about you two go read your fortunes and then meet us by the shrine, huh? I need to sit down and take a breather. This huge crowd is making me feel dizzy."

Ulquiorra nodded and took Orihime's hand in his, sending warmth throughout both of them. They both knew they would never get used to the feeling. He then pushed his way through the crowd and went in front of everyone, ignoring the yelling from everyone he pushed and Orihime's apologies to them. Finally reaching the shrine, the two did a quick prayer and reached for their fortunes.

"What did you get, Ulquiorra?" Orihime curiously asked.

Ulquiorra showed the girl the small piece of paper in his hand and answered, "It seems I will have bad luck this year."

Orihime sighed and replied, "Same. Well, maybe next year will be better! I didn't think you would believe in this stuff though, Ulquiorra!"

"I don't. I just knew that if I complained you would nag at me for not believing."

The two then pushed their way back through the crowd once again to find a covered bench. Plopping onto the bench, Orihime let out a sigh of relief. Though the kimono was immensely beautiful, it was a pain to walk in and the weight was taking a toll on her body. Turning her head to face her boyfriend, she was surprised to see him holding up his phone pointed at her.

"Wait, are you taking a picture!?" the girl asked as she lunged towards the boy, trying to take the phone away.

"Of course I am," Ulquiorra simply answered. There was no need to hide it now that he was caught.

"W-What if I look bad?"

"I assure you, you do not. Though Kurosaki had me worrying when he bought you something that expensive, I will admit that it came in handy. You truly are breathtaking, Orihime. Now, let me take a nice photo of you without it being blurry."

Orihime sat still with a blush on her face as she shyly smiled at the camera. Eventually getting used to Ulquiorra taking multiple pictures, the girl began to laugh and make silly poses after hearing each click. It was like he was her personal photographer. The girl could see Ulquiorra's lips tugged upwards into a smile as he took each picture. Then, the world stopped as she heard one of the rarest sounds in the universe: Ulquiorra's laughter.

"W-Whoa," Orihime said, her mouth hung open in surprise. "D-Did you just laugh?"

Ulquiorra quickly stopped and looked away, his pale cheeks gaining color by the second. "No."

"Yes you did! Ulquiorra Schiffer, you just laughed!"

"No I did not."

"What were you laughing at? Let me see!"

Orihime then lunged towards the boy and snatched the phone away. Swiping through the many pictures of herself, she was confused. She knew that the poses were a little silly but there was definitely nothing that funny to make someone like _Ulquiorra_ laugh. Then, she found it. There was a quick shot of her while she was changing poses. Both of her eyes were opened just a bit and her mouth was in the process of making a funny face. In other words, it was a perfectly timed unflattering picture of her. Orihime grumpily pouted and nudged the boy next to her, who was smirking at the sight of the picture, this time containing his laughter.

"Not funny, Ulquiorra."

"Yes it is."

"I'll get you back one day for this! Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But I will get you back one day!"

"You can try."

Eventually, the two got up and began to look for Kyoko and Takeshi. They walked hand in hand peacefully through the immense crowd, Orihime leading the way so that Ulquiorra would not rudely push the strangers that were in the way. Finally finding the older couple, the four then went to give one last prayer before heading back to Ulquiorra's house. Once they all took shelter in the warm house, they sipped on hot chocolate and munched on snacks while engaging in light conversation.

"So, Orihime," Kyoko started after swallowing a rather big bite of her sandwich, "what do you typically do on New Year's Eve?"

"Oh, I usually just get a fortune and pray then volunteer somewhere for the homeless!" the girl cheerfully answered.

"I see. What about when you were with your older brother? What kind of traditions did you two have for New Years?"

Orihime's bright smile dropped for a quick moment before she quickly recovered. "Oh well we did lots of things! We watched Disney movies and ate yummy food until just before midnight! Then when it finally turned midnight we would jump off boxes and scream happy things as a good luck charm!"

"Boxes?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Well, people typically jump down stairs, but we didn't have any stairs so we used boxes!"

Kyoko giggled and said, "That sounds like so much fun! How about the four of us do that? I don't think Ulquiorra has ever seen a Disney movie before, it should be fun! Would that be OK with you, Orihime?"

Orihime's face lit up at the thought of celebrating the way she used to when Sora was still around, nodding her head in excitement.

"Alright, so it's settled! Every year starting now, these will be our little family's traditions! Orihime, you are going to spend New Year's with us from now on!"

Since Kyoko seemed to have a copy of almost every Disney movie, the four then sat on the couch and began to watch Beauty and the Beast. Orihime was amazed at the size of their TV, as it took up most of the wall opposite from them. Turning to face Ulquiorra, she almost giggled seeing him entranced by the movie. His emerald eyes locked onto the screen and watched for every little detail.

" _Who'd have thought he'd like Disney? He really is adorable!"_

Ulquiorra could feel Orihime's staring but ignored it as he was too interested in the movie. Though childish movies like this, or really any fiction movie at all, never caught his attention in the slightest, he found himself hooked once the princess- whose name he could not remember- sacrificed her own freedom in exchange for her father's. Seeing the short, stubby man run away from the castle both amused and irritated him. Instead of running away, why didn't the two stick together and fight the beast and escape together?

" _What a terrible father,"_ Ulquiorra thought as he continued to watch.

Ulquiorra was really interested in the growing relationship between girl and the beast. He couldn't help but compare his and Orihime's relationship to the one on the screen. The girl was beautiful while the man was not. The girl was kind and well-liked, while the beast lived in solitude to not be killed. The girl had people constantly fawning over her, while the beast didn't even have a single friend. How could he not see his relationship in theirs? The similarities were astonishing. Finally, the movie ended with the couple living happily ever after. The four then played some games- though Ulquiorra wanted to take Orihime to his room and take a nap- and waited for midnight to arrive.

Hours passed and it was finally 11:55, five minutes until midnight. Orihime and Kyoko jumped around excitedly while Takeshi and Ulquiorra watched with amused smiles.

"You found yourself a keeper didn't you, Ulquiorra?" Takeshi quietly asked his son.

Ulquiorra kept his gaze on his girlfriend and answered, "Yes, I did."

"Make sure you cherish her for as long as you can."

"...What do you mean by as long as-"

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime interrupted excitedly, "It's time to jump!" She then took a hold of the boy's hand and began to countdown aloud with Kyoko. "3… 2… 1… JUMP!"

Just as it turned midnight, the four of them jumped off the stairs- Orihime practically dragging Ulquiorra- and cheered in celebration. Kyoko popped open a bottle of apple cider and they all did a toast, wishing all of them luck for the New Year. When it was clear that Kyoko wasn't going to be able to stay up much longer, Ulquiorra took Orihime's hand to drive her home, his curiosity at his dad's remark long gone and forgotten. Quickly entering the empty apartment, Ulquiorra walked Orihime to her room and tucked her in, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"I must be going now, Orihime," he said as his lips lingered in front of Orihime's.

"Wait, what's your New Year's resolution?" the girl asked curiously. "Mine is to get good grades and make a bunch of memories with you and everyone else!"

"Hmm… I suppose my resolution is to learn more about you. I learn something new every day and you never cease to surprise me."

Orihime blushed and the two shared one last kiss before Ulquiorra got up to leave.

"Happy New Years, Ulquiorra."

"Happy New Years, Orihime."

With that, Ulquiorra left the small apartment he called home and laid in bed thinking of what the New Year had to offer them. Closing his eyes, the boy began to imagine the new adventures, dates, holidays, and other little things they could experience that year. Little did he know there were hardships ahead for the both of them.

 **AN:** Some drama coming up in the next few chapters, stick around! Please review! :)


	20. Chapter 20

**AN:** This is a very short chapter but important nonetheless! Hope you enjoy! PS: if any of you are interested, I decided to branch out of ulquihime stories and began writing my first fairy tail story! If any of you like fairy tail, should definitely check out my story :) It's a nalu story!

Chapter 20

It was a slightly windy day in Karakura Town. The blue sky was shielded by clouds, though luckily rain hadn't started to pour. The grass swayed side to side rhythmically along with the branches on trees. Droplets of rain from the prior night were still scattered along each blade of grass, dampening the soil below. Two and a half months had passed since New Year's and it was now a day Orihime had been dreading all year long: Valentine's Day.

Though the girl absolutely loved all of the decorations and the cheap prices of sweets, she hated receiving bundles of chocolate every year from complete strangers at school. Some of the boys always managed to figure out her locker combination and stuff their chocolate and love notes inside, making it harder to get to her school supplies, which resulted in her being late to class. That wasn't her only issue, however. Orihime had always felt guilty to just throw the chocolate away and forced herself to eat every piece as a sign of respect. Of course, she would get sick afterwards and regret it. Hopefully since she actually had a boyfriend this year, the persistent boys would take the hint and give up.

" _At least Tatsuki and Ulquiorra will be there just in case."_

Finally reaching the classroom, completely ignoring the stares from her male classmates, Orihime plopped into her seat with a heavy sigh. She wondered if she should just go home and relax, though she knew that wasn't an option. Sensing somebody's presence beside her, she prayed it wasn't one of her many admirers before facing them with a smile. Luckily, it was just Ulquiorra.

"Orihime, what are you doing?" he asked, his hands in his pockets as usual.

"What do you mean?"

"You always sit with me before class starts, however you went to your own desk. Did I upset you?"

Orihime giggled and answered, "Oh no not at all, Ulquiorra! Sorry, I just get a little spacey on this day."

"This day?"

"You know, Valentine's Day! A lot of boys like to give me chocolate on Valentine's Day and I always try not to get any attention so that hopefully I can lower the amount, you know what I mean?"

"Why not just tell them you do not like it?"

"Well because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, silly! I don't want to crush their hearts and make them scared of future loves! I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I did that!"

Ulquiorra sighed and glanced around the room. Sure enough, there were plenty of boys eyeing Orihime as if she were their prey. He could see their vulnerability as they held packets in their hands, probably chocolate or other sweets. The boy then sent a nasty glare to each and every single one of them and smirked triumphantly as they quickly looked away.

"Alright, class, you can send your love notes or whatever after the lecture. So take your seats and let's start already so I can go home and drink," Ms. Ochi announced as she walked into the room. Her hair was uncombed and her eyes were drooping heavily. It was clear that Valentine's Day, the day of love, was not something the older woman was looking forward to, especially when she was surrounded by kids that were in relationships when she was still single.

As Ms. Ochi went on about some kind of mathematical equation, Ulquiorra kept surveying the room to find any boys he might have to destroy that day. Since he sat in the back of the classroom, he could see everyone else in front of him. Seeing the small packets sitting bravely on many of the male student's- and also Chizuru's- he knew who he would be interrogating once the lecture was over. If they weren't going to back off themselves even though they knew he and Orihime were in a relationship, then he would have to _make_ them back off. Whether he had to do it physically or not was up to them.

Once the bell signaled it was time for lunch, Ulquiorra swiftly got up from his desk and walked to the boy closest to him with chocolate in his hand. Quickly snatching it with one hand while keeping his other hand calmly in his pocket, Ulquiorra gave the trembling boy a look of pure menace.

"Who is this for?" he said in a low, threatening tone.

"I-It isn't for anyone!" the scared boy, whose name Ulquiorra did not know, lied.

"Good," Ulquiorra replied. He then closed his hand into a fist around the chocolate, effectively breaking the treat. "I suggest next year you find a new woman to try to please."

Figuring he now had to repeat the same process with about 15 more of his male classmates, Ulquiorra smirked when he found all of them cowering away after watching his interaction with the other boy. However, his lips quickly formed a frown as a flash of red hair zoomed past him towards Orihime. It was none other than Orihime's friend, Chizuru.

" _Damn it,"_ Ulquiorra thought as he saw the eccentric red-head pounce on Orihime. " _I guess I will have to kill somebody today after all."_

Walking towards the two girls, he stood behind them, creating a looming shadow along with his terrifying presence. Usually, his victims would run away, screaming and crying as they did. Chizuru, however, was not afraid in the slightest. Instead, she turned her head to meet the boy's gaze and stuck her tongue out as she hugged Orihime even tighter.

"U-Ulquiorra, wait," Orihime said, knowing that her boyfriend wasn't exactly the kind, patient type of person.

"Woman," the boy said addressing Chizuru, who was still clinging onto Orihime, "you will unleash her this instant or else."

"Or else what?" Chizuru inquired, irritating the boy even more.

Ulquiorra stepped towards the girl, only to find her being dragged away a second later. It was none other than Tatsuki, who had been playing the role of Orihime's protector on Valentine's Day for years. Once the fierce, teenage girl punished Chizuru with a hard kick to the stomach, she walked back to the two and greeted Orihime with a smile while just nodding in acknowledgment to Ulquiorra.

"Hi, Tatsuki!" Orihime exclaimed as she quickly jumped out of her seat to hug the girl. "Have you gotten any chocolates today?"

"Don't be silly!" Tatsuki replied. "You know that all the boys here are too focused on you! Besides, all of the boys here are idiots! They could never satisfy me in the slightest!"

"Oh, don't pretend like you aren't interested in you-know-who! I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting chocolates from him!"

Typically, Ulquiorra would zone out whenever Orihime would talk to one of her friends. This time, however, he was intrigued to find out that Tatsuki actually had _feelings_ for somebody. He always assumed she was a lesbian interested in Orihime, just as Chizuru was, but with self-control. Looking around the room to see what boy could possibly have won Tatsuki's affection, his eyes landed on Grimmjow.

" _Perhaps it is him…"_ he thought, considering the two have spent a considerable amount of time together since project week, especially since Grimmjow joined karate-club. Once he saw the blue-haired teen starting a prank on one of the boys in class, Ulquiorra shook his head slightly. " _No, it can't be him. He is too much of an idiot."_

* * *

As school finally ended- Ulquiorra not having to murder anyone- the couple along with Tatsuki began to walk towards Orihime's apartment.

"Oh, shit!" Tatsuki randomly exclaimed. "I forgot my homework in my locker! I gotta go back and get it, I'll see you guys tomorrow! Later!"

With that, the spikey-haired girl left the couple alone, which was what Ulquiorra had been waiting patiently for all day. Stopping, he gently grabbed Orihime's wrist and prompted her to stop walking as well. Once he saw her confused expression, he pulled out a tiny box and held it out to her. Inside were heart-shaped cookies covered in white chocolate and rainbow sprinkles.

Orihime took the small box in her hands as a bright smile graced her face. Looking at the cookies, she could tell that they were homemade and that Ulquiorra actually put effort into them. Taking one of the white cookies, she popped it into her mouth as she thoughtfully chewed. They were delicious!

"Wow, Ulquiorra!" the girl exclaimed. "These are really good! Who knew you were good at baking!"

"It is simple as long as you follow the instructions," Ulquiorra stoically replied. He decided not to mention that he had failed making two batches and that Kyoko had to help him make those cookies.

"I think this is the first time I got a gift from somebody on Valentine's Day that didn't make me feel uncomfortable! Thank you, Ulquiorra."

With that said, Orihime stood on the tip of her toes and planted a kiss on Ulquiorra's cheek. Stepping back, she giggled at the sight of him blushing even though they had been together for almost half of a year now. Then again, she had no room to talk considering her face still turned red at the slightest bit of contact as well.

Entering the cramped apartment, the two cuddled up against each other as they watched another Disney movie. After seeing Ulquiorra's interest in Beauty and the Beast, Orihime knew that wouldn't be the last time they would watch a Disney film. Thus, they girl chose what she believed would be Ulquiorra's favorite: Mulan. She was right in the end, for Ulquiorra had no complaints about the weakness of the girl like he did with Belle, and instead was admiring the strength and bravery of Mulan. He did complain, however, that it was unrealistic of one girl, four of her friends, a dragon, and a cricket could save all of China.

"You know, Ulquiorra, I think you are really becoming a Disney fan!" Orihime said happily as the movie came to an end.

"I am not. These movies are foolish and unrealistic. They impose false hopes on children," Ulquiorra replied, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he looked away from the girl.

"Wanna watch the sequel?"

"…Yes."

* * *

As Tatsuki neared her locker, she took a minute to catch her breath before putting her combination in. Opening the locker, she was disappointed at the sound of something falling out. Deciding to pick it up after she retrieved her homework, the girl looked down and gasped at what was beside her foot. It was none other than a box of dark chocolate, wrapped messily with a red bow. Picking it up, she found a note tucked underneath the bow.

" _It's probably just from Orihime to make me feel better about being single,"_ Tatsuki thought. Opening the note, she was disappointed to find that it wasn't handwritten, making it impossible to guess who it was from. Looking at the words printed on the small piece of paper, the girl read aloud, "Happy Valentine's Day, Tatsuki. Hope you like the chocolate, I made it myself. From, your secret admirer."

" _Oh yeah this has got to be from Orihime."_

Taking one of the small pieces of chocolate in her hand, Tatsuki popped it into her mouth. She nearly threw up after tasting it. The chocolate was horrendously bitter and somehow salty. It definitely could not have been from Orihime.

" _Wait, if it's not from Orihime, who is it from?"_

With that thought lingering in her mind, Tatsuki finally left the school building, the box holding the bitter pieces of chocolate in her hands.

 **AN:** Hopefully that was cute enough! There'll be a little less ulquihime in the next chapter, but that's it I promise! Please review :D


	21. Chapter 21

**AN:** HOW COULD I HAVE SWITCHED VALENTINES DAY AND WHITE DAY IN THE LAST CHAPTER!? LIKE I KNEW THAT TOO YET MY MIND JUST JUMBLED THEM UP! D: oh well, thanks for everyone letting me know! :) A lot of things aren't accurate in my story with Japan, particularly the weather haha. It's just easier to write in this setting that I am familiar with and I'm too lazy to research! Please enjoy the story anyways! :D

Chapter 21

"Wait, what!? What did it say!?" Orihime loudly asked Tatsuki, who was covering her ears due to the loud volume of her yelling.

"Sheesh, Orihime! It's nothing serious! I think it was just some joke," Tatsuki answered once she found her friend had stopped yelling. "All it said was 'Happy Valentine's Day' and that it was from some secret admirer or whatever. Then the asshole gave me some disgusting chocolate!"

"I doubt it was a joke, Tatsuki! I think somebody really likes you and they just aren't good at cooking! Maybe it was Grimmjow!"

Tatsuki scoffed and crossed her arms. "As if! That guy probably doesn't even know what Valentine's Day is!"

"Have you told him or made it clear that you like him?"

Tatsuki's tough act disappeared and the girl laid back onto the bed. "Of course not. How could I? You know how it is, you had a crush on Ichigo for years and couldn't tell him. I'm not used to this kind of stuff, you know? I've never had a crush or anything, this is all new to me. I wish he would just quit the karate club and transfer schools so that I never have to see him again."

"That's how I felt when Ulquiorra and I got into our first fight. But you know, if he did leave I would be very sad. And that's how you would feel too if Grimmjow left! Even though you don't know what to do, that doesn't mean you can't learn! Trust me, Tatsuki! I'm going to help you with this starting now!"

"W-Wait, Hime, what do you mean by that?"

Orihime, who was in the process of getting her phone, looked back at her friend with a rare, mischievous smile and answered, "Well, whether he admits it or not, Ulquiorra is friends with Grimmjow! So, we can have him do the work for us! He can ask Grimmjow what he thinks of you and stuff while we wait!"

Before Tatsuki had any time to protest, Orihime sent a text telling Ulquiorra to come over as soon as possible. In a surprisingly short amount of time, Tatsuki could feel her face gaining warmth as she heard a knock at the door, obviously being Ulquiorra. Only Orihime knew about her feelings for Grimmjow, she was definitely not ready to let some heartless guy like Ulquiorra know.

"Orihime, you told me this is an emergency," Ulquiorra said as he walked into the room. A clear look of annoyance was on his face. "I do not see anything dangerous or of the sort here."

"It is an emergency! Just not a dangerous one, silly. OK, Tatsuki, go ahead and tell him!" Orihime said, encouraging her friend with a smile and a nod.

"F-Fine," Tatsuki replied, her arms crossed as she kept her gaze locked on the wall opposite from her. Her face was still red and she felt embarrassed. "…I may or may not have a thing for your friend, Grimmjow."

Ulquiorra stood still, fazed at what Tatsuki had just said. It seems his initial guess was right, though it was still surprising. How could Tatsuki like somebody as idiotic and ill-mannered as Grimmjow? " _This must be how everyone else felt when they found out Orihime and I were in a romantic relationship,"_ he thought.

"So, Ulquiorra," Orihime started, "do you think you can help us?"

The dark haired boy sighed as he took a seat on the bed by Tatsuki. "I do not understand how you two expect me to help with this situation. Grimmjow and I do not speak much in the first place."

"Yes you do! Just find out if he likes someone or not! Question him about anything related to this! Oh, but don't make it too obvious!"

"Is this all that girls discuss when they are together?"

"Pretty much. Are you going to do it?"

"Fine."

* * *

Ulquiorra slowly walked towards Grimmjow's house feeling restless. Though Orihime's antics typically tired him out regardless, having to walk to the other side of town to gossip with one of the most idiotic people he knew was just too much. Finally reaching the tiny house in front of him, the boy realized it had been years since he been there last. He noticed the white paint was chipping away and that the yard hadn't been mowed in what looked like a long time even though the snow and rain had disappeared months ago. Knocking once on the door, he patiently waited as he heard loud footsteps coming towards him from inside the house.

"Who's here?" the boy heard Grimmjow ask.

"Ulquiorra. Open up," he answered.

The blue haired teen threw open the door with a surprised expression. "Ulquiorra? What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing the nasty with the little princess or whatever?"

"Shut up," Ulquiorra said as he pushed past his friend and entered the house. "Is your mother not home again?"

"Of course not, you know that bitch. She's out gambling all of her money away. What are you doing here anyways, freak? You stalking me or something?"

"Don't be stupid. I simply came to talk to you about something important."

As Grimmjow walked into the kitchen to grab them some soda and chips, Ulquiorra took a seat on the rough couch in the small living room. Orihime's apartment was bigger than Grimmjow's house, making everything even more cramped than what he was used to. As Grimmjow came back with the food, Ulquiorra turned the TV on along with the game console they had always played. Picking up a controller and handing Grimmjow the other, the dark haired boy proceeded to destroy his friend in a first person shooting game. Since the two boys met, this was their routine. Ulquiorra would escape from his house and come over the moment Grimmjow's mom left and the two boys would play violent video games- Ulquiorra always winning.

"So, what did you have to say, huh?" Grimmjow asked as he quickly smashed the buttons in an attempt to shoot Ulquiorra's character in the game. "I'm guessing it's something important since you don't really come here otherwise. You're too busy hanging out with your girlfriend."

"Are you jealous?" Ulquiorra replied, swiftly dodging all of Grimmjow's bullets. "I am here to ask about you and your feelings towards the girls in our class."

"What the hell? Why?"

"Orihime is curious."

Grimmjow laughed hysterically as he threw the controller onto the couch. "Ha! Looks like she's started to lose interest in you, Ulquiorra! I guess she wants in on some of this action!"

Ulquiorra sighed as he punched Grimmjow hard in the gut, causing him to hunch over in pain. "I see you are as stupid as ever. It is not like you are interested in Orihime anyways."

"What do you mean? Your girl is hot! I could definitely be _interested_ in her!"

"You and I are both aware of your feelings for somebody else."

Grimmjow's eyes widened in shock as he looked away. His face gained a considerable amount of warmth and his skin quickly turned pink. "W-What the hell are you talking about?"

"You hold feelings for Orihime's best friend."

"T-Tatsuki!? As if! That girl is a menace! She kicks my ass every day and bosses me around in karate! She's not even hot! She has no rack or ass!"

Ulquiorra sighed and felt his head slowly start to ache. Why must he be the one to talk to Grimmjow about this? "Then why did you make her chocolates yesterday for Valentine's Day? You even signed it as her secret admirer."

"I didn't-"

"I have tasted your cooking, Grimmjow. It is just as terrible as Orihime's. I am aware you were the one that made it."

"Wait so they were gross!? But I spent so much time on them! Agh whatever! Fine, I like the chick, alright? So what? She isn't interested in relationships or anything anyways. Shit, I'm not either. I just like sex."

"If you just wanted to engage in _that_ then you would be doing it with one of the girls that are always fawning over you for some reason. You need to stop lying to yourself, idiot."

Grimmjow scoffed and crossed his arms. "What makes you think you are such an expert when you've had one girlfriend, jackass!"

Ulquiorra sighed as he stood up from the couch. His friend was right, he was no expert in relationships and wasn't too sure of what he was saying. With his patience dwindling by the second, the boy started to walk to the door. Before leaving, he decided to say one last thing to both satisfy Orihime's demands and help out his clueless friend.

"Grimmjow," he started without making eye contact, "you are right. I do not have much expertise on romantic relationships. However, if there is one thing that Orihime has taught me, it is that you are not bound by anything from your past or the people around you. Not every female you meet is going to be like your mother. It's time for you to stop being a coward."

The blue-haired teen stood from the couch as he pulled up his sleeves, ready to fight. "What the fuck do you mean by coward!?"

"You are too afraid to go after her because of your strained relationship with your mother and also because you fear rejection. There is nothing to fear. For some reason, it appears she holds feelings for you as well."

With that, Ulquiorra left the house, leaving Grimmjow paralyzed in his spot. The blue-eyed teen ran his fingers through his hair and sat back on the couch, leaning his head back to rest. Closing his eyes, he cursed under his breath realizing his friend was right all along. He knew he wanted something more than just a fling with Tatsuki and he knew that his feelings towards her were growing fast. The only thing stopping him from pursuing her was his fear.

" _I really am nothing but a damn coward,"_ he thought. " _That fucking Ulquiorra just always has to be right about everything. He really makes me want to commit murder sometimes. Damn, I can't believe Tatsuki actually feels the same way. What the hell am I supposed to do now though?"_

* * *

As Ulquiorra finally reached his own house, he could feel his body growing restless. He had talked way too much that day to people that he did not want to, such as Tatsuki and Grimmjow, and he needed to relax. Plopping onto his bed, the boy grabbed his laptop and began to type away on the keys. Though nobody knew of it yet, Ulquiorra had been writing his own book, just as Takeshi and Kyoko had predicted. Just as he loved to read nonfiction books, he found he also enjoyed writing them as well. His first book was all about human emotions, just as his project with Orihime was. Though, this included much more extensive research, of course.

Ulquiorra found out rather quickly that writing was something he genuinely enjoyed to do. With the help of his parents, he had now found his dream. Before Orihime came along, the boy had no aspirations. Now, his mind was flooded with endless possibilities. Ulquiorra wanted to be an author. He couldn't imagine himself doing anything else for the rest of his life with such passion. Grammar, knowledge, citing valuable sources, it all seemed to both calm and excite him. Though, being an author wasn't his only new goal in life.

No, Ulquiorra wanted much more. Many of his dreams were all centered on one person: Orihime. Before, he had never imagined simply _talking_ to a girl without any detest. The boy never understood ties such as marriage, dating, or even the concept of love. Now, he was in a loving relationship with the girl of his dreams, the only person that could truly keep him sane. Images of Orihime walking down the aisle in a white, ball-gown dress seemed to pop into Ulquiorra's head much more frequently lately. He wanted to marry her, have kids, all of the things normal couples did. He wanted to share all of it with Orihime.

Just as he was finishing the last sentence of one of his paragraphs, Ulquiorra's phone rang. Picking it up, the boy saw it was Orihime calling him for the second time that day.

"Orihime," he started the moment he answered, "I love you, but I am not coming over again to gossip."

"Hi, Ulquiorra!" Orihime's voice rang through the phone. "Don't worry, I don't need you to come over I just wanted to tell you about the plan Tatsuki and I came up with! It'll ensure us complete victory!"

Ulquoirra sighed though the corner of his lips were tugged upwards into a smile. "You sound as if you are going to war. Now, why must I know of this plan? Are you asking for my help?" Ulquiorra could hear Tatsuki whispering orders to Orihime of what to say.

"Well, I guess you could say that! We need you to bring Grimmjow-kun to the party!"

"Party?"

"Yes, party! Oh, bring Nnoitra-kun too, that way it's not as obvious!"

"Orihime what do you mean by party?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you? OK, well me and Tatsuki are going to have a small party at my house and play a lot of games! The main goal is to start playing truth or dare! Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"No, but I will figure out tomorrow apparently. Is that all?"

"Yep!"

"Alright. Have fun with Tatsuki, _general_."

"Tatsuki!" Orihime called out, hurting Ulquiorra's ears. "Ulquiorra just made a joke! You have to hear it! Ulquiorra could you say that again now that the phone is on speaker?"

"Goodnight, Orihime. I love you."

With that, Ulquiorra hung up, a small smile spread across his face. Though he wasn't exactly looking forward to a party, it did amuse him to see Orihime try so hard to put Tatsuki and Grimmjow together. Though Tatsuki wasn't his _favorite_ person to be around, the boy would be lying if he said he didn't care for her at all- along with Grimmjow, of course.

Typing away with intense speed once again, Ulquiorra began to wonder what the next day had in store for them. " _I have never played truth or dare before. This shall be interesting."_

* * *

Orihime frantically scurried around her small apartment, picking up everything off of the floor and putting things where they belonged. With a limited amount of time, the girl had managed to contact her dearest friends and invite them over for a party. She was ecstatic to find they could all come, but now she was forced to clean everything from her sleepover with Tatsuki before they arrived. Her best friend offered to help, of course, but Orihime shooed her away to get the supplies instead. The girl's heart beat with an unbelievable speed thinking of what was to occur. She finally had the chance to help Tatsuki with boy issues instead of vice versa.

"Oh my gosh I am just too excited!" she let out with a squeal. "I guess this place is clean enough!"

And that was an understatement. Orihime had done every possible chore she could think of to prepare. She did the dishes, vacuumed, dusted, washed her dirty clothes, and even began to scrub the walls when she couldn't think of anything else to do. While others were more likely to shy from such responsibilities, the auburn-haired girl found it calming while she absolutely had to be moving to keep her excitement level at bay. Finally, there was a knock at the door.

"Did you get the snacks already, Tatsuki?" Orihime cried out as she walked towards the door. "I hope you remembered my advice that boys are probably more willing to talk if they have yummy food!" Opening the door, Orihime was surprised to see Ulquiorra standing in front of her instead of the spikey haired teen she was expecting. "Ulquiorra! What are you doing here? The party isn't starting for another half hour!"

Ulquiorra sighed as he walked past the girl and sat on his spot on the couch. His emerald eyes followed Orihime's figure until she sat right beside him.

"It is nice to see you too, Orihime," he said with a small smirk.

Orihime blushed and replied, "Sorry. I just wasn't expecting you. It's nice to see you, Ulquiorra! Oh, are you ready to hear the battle plan!? Don't tell Tatsuki though because she's not entirely aware of the plan!"

Ulquiorra lifted an eyebrow as he stared at the girl. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

"Of course!"

Ulquiorra could only hope his girlfriend knew what she was doing.

Finally, people starting to show up, the first being Uryu, who always made sure to be _exactly_ on time. Sado arrived soon after, followed by Ichigo and Rukia. The seven of them sat rather awkwardly as they waited for Grimmjow and Nnoitra to come. Orihime quickly glanced at Tatsuki and could immediately tell she was nervous, probably because the two were already 20 minutes late.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door and they could hear Grimmjow yell, "Oi, open up already!"

Orihime let out a sigh of relief at the sound of the blue-haired teen's voice, though she would definitely have to scold him for being late and making her worry. When the two boys walked into the living room, the group of nine sat in a circle on the floor, everyone wondering what exactly they were supposed to be doing.

"Alright!" Orihime started after clearing her throat. "Now that everyone is here, let's start!" The girl looked back at Tatsuki and Ulquiorra and winked- the former face-palming because of how obvious it was while the latter let out a sigh at his girlfriend's antics. "First we are going to play truth or dare! I'm sure everyone already knows the rules, so I'll go first! Hmm… Ishida-kun! Truth or dare?"

Uryu sighed as he pushed his glasses up. It was clear that he was not fond of the game. "Truth," he finally said.

Orihime tapped her chin with her finger as she thought. "Hmm… Is it true that you are dating an older woman?"

Uryu's mouth dropped open just as everyone else's- besides Ulquiorra and Sado- as the question as startled all of them. "I-I don't know what you are talking about. I am not _dating_ anyone."

"Oh but you _like_ her?"

Uryu gave the girl a gentle smile, which quickly turned into a smirk. "Sorry, Inoue-san, I already answered the question. Next is my turn. Sado, truth or dare?"

"…Truth," the tanned boy said after while of uncomfortable silence.

"Do you happen to like anyone?"

Without saying a word, Sado shook his head, not surprising anyone. They could never imagine him actually having romantic feelings for a girl- that would be more surprising than when they found out Ulquiorra liked Orihime. Finally, Sado spoke up once again to ask somebody else. "Ichigo, truth or dare?"

Ichigo gave an anticipated grin as he answered, "Dare!"

"I dare you to eat some of Inoue's leftovers."

Ulquiorra barely suppressed a laugh as he watched Ichigo's face scrunch up in disgust as sweat dropped down his face. Though he loved his girlfriend more than anything, her cooking was absolutely horrendous. Speaking of Orihime, the boy looked to find her pouting grumpily with her arms crossed.

"My cooking isn't even bad…" she mumbled, earning a smirk from Ulquiorra. She then got up to quickly heat up her most recent masterpiece: chicken stuffed with grape jelly with wasabi spread on top as if it were buttered bread. Handing it to her friend, she took her seat between Ulquiorra and Tatsuki and began to watch the hilarious scene unfold.

Ichigo eyed the… _meat_ with terrified eyes. Glancing at Sado, he gave him a nasty glare. With a loud gulp, the carrot-top picked up the fork, his fingers trembling. Taking a small piece of the chicken, which had both the jelly and the wasabi, the boy opened his mouth and let the food enter. The group watched Ichigo chew ever-so-slowly until his face turned into a tint of green. Suddenly, the boy quickly stood up and ran past the group towards the bathroom. They could hear the door slam behind him, followed by loud gags and screams for water.

"I-It tastes delicious!" Orihime cried out, her face red from embarrassment. Taking the plate of inedible food, she took a big bit and said, "See!?"

Ulquiorra quickly looked away from the sight, his stomach churning just thinking about what Orihime ate whenever he wasn't there.

When Ichigo finally came back, he gave one last glare to Sado before asking, "Hey, pipsqueak, truth or dare?"

Rukia punched her boyfriend, smirking at the sight of him hunched over in pain and answered, "Dare, of course."

"Alright, I dare you to prank call your brother."

Rukia's mouth dropped as she quickly stammered, "N-No I change my mind I want truth! You know I can't do that, Ichigo!"

"Sorry, pipsqueak! Can't change your mind! Rules are rules!"

The petite girl cursed under her breath as she pulled out her phone. Blocking her number so he wouldn't know it was her, she began to call Byakuya. It rang four times before it was finally answered, a deep and mysterious voice answering.

"Who is this?" was all Byakuya asked, skipping the greetings.

"U-Uhh," Rukia started, altering her voice so that it was higher pitched. "Hello, this is your insurance company! I regret to inform you that you have a stifling amount of debt to pay that we are no longer able to insure you! You have 48 hours to pay us back before we send a _representative."_ She said the last word with a hint of a threat to scare the older man.

"Hmm… Rukia, may I ask why you are trying to pretend you work for my insurance company?"

"W-What? I am not Rukia! I am-"

"Make sure you are back for dinner."

With that, Byakuya hung up, leaving a disappointed Rukia. "Was it really that obvious?"

Orihime giggled and answered, "A little."

The petite girl sighed before looking at Tatsuki and asking, "Truth or dare?"

Tatsuki grinned and answered, "Dare."

"I dare you to ask that weird guy from kendo club out on a date. The one that's been eyeing you nonstop and trying to get your number."

"Eew! Kuchiki, that guy is creepy!" Tatsuki exclaimed as she covered her face with her hands.

Ichigo laughed at his childhood friend and asked, "What's the matter, Tatsuki? Are you too much of a wimp?"

Tatsuki grimaced at the last word as she reluctantly pulled out her phone. She was undoubtedly the most competitive in the group, and since she was captain of the kendo team, she had to have everyone's number. Sighing as she clicked the phone icon by the contact called "Creep", Tatsuki waited for an answer. The phone only rang once as a boy with a high-pitched voice answered.

"C-Captain!?" he excitedly asked. "Did you need something?"

The spikey haired teen glared at Ichigo, Rukia, and Nnoitra, who were all laughing at her expense. "Y-Yeah. Wanna go out on a… _date?"_ Her stomach churned and she wanted to throw up from the last word.

"O-Oh my of course! I am so shocked! I have been waiting for this moment forev-"

With that, Tatsuki quickly hung up and shuddered at the short conversation. Seeing the accusing glances from some of the group, she quickly said, "You only said I had to ask, you never said I had to actually plan a date and go with him!" Tatsuki then glanced at Grimmjow, whose face was scrunched up for some reason. Was he jealous? "Anyways, Nnoitra! Truth or dare?"

"I'm too exhausted for a dare. Truth," the lengthy boy answered lazily, his typical huge grin missing.

"Alright, do a fuck, marry, or kill with the three of us girls."

Nnoitra scoffed as he replied, "That's too easy. Kill the shrimp, fuck the princess, and marry the feisty one."

Grimmjow let out a growl, which did not go unnoticed by the three that planned this party. He was definitely jealous.

Nnoitra ignored the blue-haired boy sitting beside him and smiled mischievously at Orihime. "Truth or dare, princess?"

Orihime gulped loudly as she answered, "Truth."

"How far have you and Ulquiorra gone?"

Orihime could feel her face gaining warmth by the second. Glancing at her boyfriend, she wasn't surprised to see he was unfazed by the question. Unlike her, he never saw anything wrong with answering these kinds of questions. He was an open book, while she clearly was not.

"U-Uhh…" she started as she played with the hem of her skirt, unable to lift her gaze because of how embarrassed she was, "we-we've kissed for long times and t-touched some places. I-I don't know what base that is considered…" Quickly deciding to change the topic, she looked at her boyfriend and frantically explained, "I already asked Uryu a question so you go now, Ulquiorra!"

Ulquiorra sighed. Orihime was just too easily embarrassed. Looking at Grimmjow, he uninterestedly asked, "Truth or dare?"

Grimmjow appeared unentertained as he answered, "Truth." This surprised everyone in the room since he was always so adventurous and daring.

Ulquiorra never broke his steady gaze away as he calmly asked, "Are you in love with Tatsuki?"

Silence fell upon the group as they awaited the answer, most thinking the eccentric teen was going to cackle or something similar. Jaws were dropped quickly, however, as they heard his response.

"Duh."

 **AN:** I promise there'll be more ulquihime in the next chapter! For now, please review :)


	22. Chapter 22

**AN:** Sorry it's been so long! My sister is finally visiting so I'm spending a lot of time with her haha! I hope this chapter makes up for the wait! :)

Chapter 22

It was a warm, Saturday morning in Karakura, spring coming into full effect. The sun was shining brightly above, evaporating the morning dew. No clouds were in sight, instead one could find children playing while their parents gossiped about anything and everything. It would be an understatement to call that day beautiful, for everything about it was just aesthetically _perfect._

It had been a week since the party at Orihime's apartment, in which they played truth or dare in an attempt to get Tatsuki and Grimmjow together. Much to Orihime's pleasure, her plan worked and the two shortly began to date, though it was clear they were now awkward around each other. The girl found their newfound shyness endearing as she remembered how shy she used to be around Ulquiorra. Hell, she was still shy and easily embarrassed around him. Nonetheless, she had a feeling her two friends were going to be together for a while.

With that job now complete, Orihime smiled at herself in the mirror as she attempted to detangle her long, orange mane of hair. She could finally focus more on her own relationship now that she knew her best friend was happy as well. Thus, the girl quickly arranged for a date with Ulquiorra at the tulip festival, though she figured her stoic boyfriend probably wouldn't have as much fun as her. Either way, the date was set and she found herself eagerly getting ready.

Since she couldn't wear the white, flowy dress she wanted for Ulquiorra's birthday due to the snow, Orihime decided to wear it that sunny day instead. She matched it with some white sandals that buckled in the back along with the necklace and earrings that Ulquiorra had given her for Christmas. The girl eyed the sparkle of the diamonds and sapphire happily as she clipped the necklace around her neck. Fearing she would lose them, the girl only wore the pieces of expensive jewelry on either dates or special occasions, so whenever she had the chance to wear her presents, she was filled with excitement.

"Orihime, are you ready?" the girl heard from her living room, where Ulquiorra was awaiting her. She always did take too long getting ready.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" she cried out, giving herself one last look in the mirror. Though she was typically a modest girl, Orihime couldn't deny that she looked rather well that day.

Walking to meet her boyfriend in the living room, Orihime felt her cheeks being set ablaze as she felt Ulquiorra's gaze locked on her. Though she knew she looked good about ten seconds ago, the girl became insecure under her boyfriend's stare. This was a usual occurrence for the two, something that irked Ulquiorra. Why couldn't she just accept she was beautiful? Ulquiorra knew he would never find the answer to that question.

"H-How do I look?" Orihime shyly asked, keeping her eyes glued to the carpet so that the boy in front of her wouldn't see her flushed cheeks.

Ulquiorra sighed and answered, "Orihime, you ask me this every time and I always reply with the same answer. You look _amazing_ and you always will no matter what you are wearing. You do not need to be so worried and insecure. You shall always have my heart."

The girl instantly brought her face up to meet Ulquiorra's eyes. Her face was instantly graced with a bright smile, brighter than the sun as she said, "Thanks, Ulquiorra! That was so cheesy!"

"Cheesy? I will have to keep that in mind next time you need reassurance. Shall we go now? The tulips are not going to wait all day for us to arrive."

"Why can't you make jokes like that around my friends? They never believe me when I tell them you are funny!"

With that, the couple hopped in Ulquiorra's car and headed to the tulip festival. The traffic was relatively decent that day and they finally arrived about half an hour later. Ulquiorra was confused as to why Orihime would want to go to a tulip festival considering they are all the same species of flower, just different colors. He was reluctant to agree to this date at first, arguing that they stay indoors and watch more Disney movies- though he would never admit to being a fan of the franchise. However, he knew that once Orihime set her mind on something, it was going to happen regardless.

Thus, when he finished parking, Ulquiorra gazed uninterestedly at the field in front of him. There were seemingly endless rainbow columns of tulips, varying in color. The flowers swayed gracefully side to side in the gentle breeze, making a wave effect with the colors. Looking beside him, the boy scanned Orihime's face to find her reaction. Unsurprisingly, the girl's face was lit up in excitement, her jaw dropped on its hinges in awe. Just then, Ulquiorra felt his arm being tugged as Orihime quickly dragged him closer.

"We have to take pictures together, Ulquiorra!" Orihime exclaimed after she let out a squeal. Orihime led the way in between two columns of pink tulips, handing her bored-looking boyfriend her phone. "Take a picture of me!" She then crouched down, forgetting that she was wearing a rather short dress that day. Taking in Ulquiorra's tinted cheeks and widened green eyes, Orihime confusedly asked, "What?"

Clearing his throat, Ulquiorra calmly answered, "Orihime, have you forgotten what you are wearing?"

"What do you mean?"

"You are in a dress- a short one, I might add. You cannot crouch like that."

"Why not?"

Ulquiorra sighed and had to fight the urge to face-palm. Did he really need to explain this? "Your underwear is showing."

Orihime looked down and found that he was right. She could see her lacey, black underwear clearly with how the dress fell and exposed her. Jumping straight up, the girl could feel her face burning from embarrassment as she flattened her dress anxiously.

"Ul-Ulquiorra!" she shouted, her face still flushed. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"What do you mean? I did tell you."

"W-Well you should've said so sooner!"

Ulquiorra gave a barely visible smirk, giving Orihime the answer she was looking for. He _wanted_ to look. That's why he didn't tell her.

"Let's just take a picture already!" Orihime exclaimed, forcing her to smile at the camera though her cheeks were still blazing from embarrassment.

After that embarrassing incident and a few more pictures, Orihime led the way to the green tulips so that she could take pictures of Ulquiorra. Though the flowers were a lighter shade than his eyes, Orihime figured they would still look good together. Thus, she pointed to a spot between the flowers and directed him to stand there and smile.

Ulquiorra was never one for pictures, however. Instead, he wanted to just take pictures of Orihime. Thus, he simply stood with his hands in his pockets with an unamused look as he stared into the camera. Orihime quickly snapped a few photos and frowned.

"You know, Ulquiorra," she started, "you could've at least smiled in one of these."

Ulquiorra shrugged and replied, "I am not fond of smiling."

Orihime sighed and stated, "People are going to see these pictures and think you are unhappy with this relationship."

"Who cares what other people think as long as you are aware that I am very much happy with this relationship?"

A small smile graced Orihime's face as she nodded. He was right. Who cared what other people thought? She was in a loving relationship with the man of her dreams, everything else was irrelevant.

Forty minutes quickly passed as Orihime found herself sitting on a bench, admiring the scenery. The breeze started to pick up, making the girl wish she had brought a jacket with her. She waited patiently as Ulquiorra went to buy the two a snack to munch on. Finally seeing her boyfriend approach her, Orihime noticed an ice cream cone in one hand, the other behind his back. When Ulquiorra finally stood in front of her, he held the hand from behind his back in front of him. In his hand was a freshly picked pink tulip.

"U-Ulquiorra!" the girl cried out, startling the said man. "You can't pick the tulips!"

A small frown tugged at Ulquiorra's lips as he replied, "Why not? It is just a flower."

"Because it's a festival! You can't just take them as you please!"

Ulquiorra glanced at the pink flower in his hand with a scowl. He then muttered, "I was simply trying to make a romantic gesture similar to the ones we see in movies."

Orihime smiled warmly and let out a giggle. Ulquiorra never really understood the concept of right and wrong, though he was always willing to learn to please her. Standing up, the girl stretched her arms above her head and accepted the pink flower gratefully.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra. That was very sweet of you. Just make sure not to do it again!"

Ulquiorra gave a small smile as he took hold of the girl's hand. "Are you ready to go home? I am rather… _eager_ to watch the mermaid movie I saw on your shelf earlier."

"You mean The Little Mermaid? Why don't you just admit you are a huge fan of Disney?"

"I am not a fan. I simply enjoy… Whatever, let's go already."

With that, the two made their way back to Ulquiorra's car and were on their way to Orihime's apartment.

* * *

"Did you like the movie, Ulquiorra?" Orihime asked just as the movie ended.

Ulquiorra frowned at the screen and shook his head. "Why would she give up her identity solely for the boy?"

Orihime sighed as she shook her head along with a raised finger. "Because she loved him, duh! And she didn't want to be a mermaid anyways! She wanted to be a human all along!"

"I suppose."

Orihime sat on the couch as she stared politely at her boyfriend sitting next to her. "So what do you want to do now?"

Ulquiorra's gaze locked on the girl as his eyes roamed her body. Her auburn hair flowed elegantly as her gray eyes fluttered irresistibly. The white dress she adorned began to ride up as she sat on the couch, making her creamy thighs more visible. He could see her pink, plump lips shimmer from the lip gloss she applied, making him wonder just what it tasted like. Unable to stop himself, and also not _wanting_ to stop himself, Ulquiorra cupped the girl's chin as he began to lean in.

Orihime followed in pursuit and their lips collided with just as much passion as their first kiss held. As always, their lips perfectly molded together until Ulquiorra forced his way in with his tongue. Their tongues danced together in a familiar routine as Orihime's hands traveled across Ulquiorra's chest. Grabbing the plain tee her boyfriend was wearing, Orihime pulled away from the kiss to quickly pull off the shirt, revealing the subtle abs she had long adored.

Tracing over the six pack in front of her, Orihime let out a gasp when she was suddenly tackled back on the couch, Ulquiorra's lips grazing her neck. At first the kisses were soft and gentle, making her skin tingle with delight. Soon after, they became rougher as he sucked on her neck. The girl couldn't contain her moans, especially when she felt hands stroking her thighs, making their way underneath her dress. A familiar warmth made its way to her lower body.

In a shaky voice, Orihime said, "I-I think I'm ready…"

All forms of kissing and touching abruptly halted as Ulquiorra sat up to face her, his emerald eyes boring into her grey orbs as if he were looking for answers in her eyes.

"U-Unless you don't want to! I don't want to force you or anything like-"

Ulquiorra quickly hushed the girl by chastely pressing his lips against hers.

"Believe me, Orihime, "he started, keeping his lips close to hers, "I want to. However, I know that you are simply caught in the moment. I am well aware of the type of person you are, and I love you for that reason. So, would it be alright if we saved it?"

Orihime would be lying if she said she wasn't just a tad bit disappointed by his response. Nonetheless, a gentle smile crept onto her face and she nodded reluctantly, knowing that he was right. They had only been dating six months after all, they had plenty of time. All the time in the world. Cuddling next to her boyfriend, she sighed contentedly as Ulquiorra traced his fingers in small circles on her back. Eventually, the girl began to feel tired and could no longer resist the urge to sleep. Closing her eyes, she dozed off, feeling lucky to have a boyfriend stay by her side until she fell asleep.

* * *

When Ulquiorra returned to his own house, he was surprised to hear his parents arguing in the living room. Walking in, he noticed their heads snap towards him as they clamped their mouths shut. Something suspicious was definitely going on.

"What are you arguing about?" Ulquiorra bluntly asked.

Kyoko glanced between her stepson and Takeshi before answering, "Nothing, dear. Why don't you go to your room and read or something, huh? Your father and I are just talking."

"Do not lie to me. I am not a child."

Takeshi joined the conversation by saying, "You are only 17, Ulquiorra. You are still a child. But either way, I guess you were going to find out about this in the end. Might as well tell you now, right?"

"Do not tell me you are getting a divorce."

Takeshi gave an awkward chuckle and replied, "No, no. Nothing like that. Take a seat, Ulquiorra." Once Ulquiorra did as he was told, Takeshi continued. "Now, I know this is going to be upsetting, but remember that we are a family and that-"

"Just say it, father."

"Alright. Well, son, we are moving to America."

 **AN:** Haha hope you like the cliff hanger! :D See you next time!


	23. Chapter 23

**AN:** I am sad to say that I have been having some bad writers block for this story! So, I will be taking a break from updating so that I can write more chapters so I can get my pace back! I'm sorry about this! D:

Chapter 23

"Alright. Well, son, we are moving to America."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened due to Takeshi's words. Moving? All the way to America? There was no way! That couldn't be possible! He had finally met someone to pull him out of the shell he's been living in for years, someone he trusted enough to talk about his past with. Someone he _loved._ There was no way he could move away.

"What do you mean?" the boy finally asked after snapping out of his daze. His demeanor was icy and his words were venomous.

Takeshi sighed, scratching the back of his head and avoiding eye contact, sure that if he looked into Ulquiorra's eyes he was be turned to stone. "Look," he started, "business has been slowing down here and Kyoko and I didn't want to tell you because we didn't want to worry you or anything when you've finally started talking to us. Things were starting to look bad until someone contacted me saying I could open another storefront in some town in America. They said that if that store is successful we can keep branching out."

"I do not care for money."

"Well we do, Ulquiorra. You'll understand when you are older. We want to send you off to college after high school and we can't do that if we are broke! We want you to be able to follow your dreams and you need college for that!"

"My _dream_ is here!"

Hatred began to fill Ulquiorra's emerald eyes as he stared at his father. He had to take deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Look," Takeshi started once again when he noticed Ulquiorra begin to calm down, "I know you and Orihime are together and all. I'm sure you love each other. But do you know how many girls there are in the world? You are so young, you have plenty of time to find yourself, and so does Orihime. You two are too young to know what you want in the future and you can't let your love for each other consume your guys' priorities."

"Don't tell me there are other girls out there! I do not care who else is out there, I care about Orihime! I can't just leave her alone!" Ulquiorra exclaimed, his anger quickly coming back. Deep breaths were definitely not going to help this time.

"Ulquiorra," Kyoko started timidly, "I know that what your father is saying sounds unbelievable right now. But look at your father and me. We both lost people we thought were our everything, yet we managed to find each other and fall in love. It is possible to love again. And Orihime has lived without you for many years, don't underestimate her strength. I'm sure she will be fine and understand."

Ulquiorra stared incredulously at the petite woman in front of him. He could practically feel how nervous she was as she rubbed her arms and kept her eyes glued to the floor.

"How could you take his side?" he finally asked. "When I came in you two were arguing. What changed?"

"Don't get me wrong, I do feel like we can make it here. I didn't go to law school for nothing, after all. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about our financial stability, especially when you are graduating next year and going to college. I don't know, Ulquiorra…"

Ulquiorra's anger began to sizzle away, leaving an empty feeling to linger in his chest. He felt utterly defeated. He knew Kyoko was a timid woman that would inevitably agree with his father come time. He also knew that his father was a stubborn man, nothing he could say would change his mind. What was he supposed to do?

"Fine," the boy finally stated. He stared into his father's eyes, trapping him so that he knew he was serious about what he was going to say. "You two may leave. I am staying here with Orihime." With that, he turned around and began to walk to his room.

"Ulquiorra, wait!" Kyoko cried out.

But it was too late. Ulquiorra ignored their cries and continued walking, his sight beginning to blur. Slamming the door behind him and locking it so his parents couldn't enter his room, the boy plopped onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. For once he felt like a normal teenager having a normal temper tantrum, too bad it was over terrible circumstances. Ulquiorra's eyes widened once again that day as he felt something wet streaming down his cheeks. Bringing one of his pale, slender hands to his face, he wiped at the substance to find it was his own tears.

" _I am crying, huh?"_ he thought as he stared at the liquid on his fingertips. " _I have not cried since mother passed away."_

It was too be expected. He had finally met someone to bring him out of his lonely world. Someone that made his heart actually _feel_ something, rather than just be an organ in his body. He finally met someone he wouldn't mind spending time with, someone that made him laugh, smile, and experience other human emotions. He finally met someone that showed him what it was like to love after experiencing a loss. He had finally met Orihime.

Thanks to her, Ulquiorra had made amends with his parents. He finally built strong relationships with both of them. He no longer locked himself in his room every moment he was in this house he refused to call home. He smiled with them, spent time with them, and eventually learned to love them.

And now he had to choose between Orihime and his parents.

" _I should have known it was too good to last. How could someone like me be happy? I have been cursed from the start. If I go with my parents, Orihime will be alone and I cannot do that to her. But if I stay, I would not have any place to stay. I can't rely on Orihime because she is struggling enough paying for herself. Maybe I have to go with my parents…"_

Ulquiorra shook his head quickly and began to think again.

" _No, I will not go with them. I will stay here with Orihime no matter what. If it were not for her, I would not have this relationship with my parents anyways. I cannot just leave her lonely when she was the one to drag me out of my pathetic, lonely world."_

Just like that, Ulquiorra's phone buzzed loudly on his desk, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. Picking the phone up and taking his spot back on the bed, he saw that it was a text from Orihime that read, "Hi, Ulquiorra! I just woke up from my nap! Whatcha up to? :)"

Ulquiorra sighed, wondering if he should tell her of his predicament. He knew that she would feel like a burden if he told her and would probably try to convince him to go. On the other hand, he knew that if he didn't tell her, she would eventually find out and get angry at him for keeping something so important a secret. The boy decided to go with the former, figuring that she could try to convince him all she wants but he won't listen. Clicking the green phone icon by her name, Ulquiorra called the girl. It would be much easier to explain over the phone rather than texting.

"Hi, Ulquiorra!" Orihime answered in her bubbly manner. "What's up?"

Ulquiorra sighed and mentally prepared himself for the conversation to come as he answered, "Laying in bed."

"That's weird! It's only 8 o'clock! Are you tired?"

"No."

"Then why are you laying down so early?"

"I just finished arguing with my parents and I am out of energy now."

He could hear Orihime gasp before she asked the question he'd been dreading, "Why are you guys fighting?"

Ulquiorra took a deep breath in an attempt to cool his nerves. "My parents want us to move to America." There was no reply for a while, which Ulquiorra expected. He knew it was shocking news- hell even he couldn't say anything at first when his parents told him. Thus, he patiently waited for any type of reply, keenly listening to make sure she wasn't crying. Finally, she said something.

"Is it definite?"

"It seems so."

"…O-Oh! That's wonderful, Ulquiorra! You get to travel the world a-and make new friends! How exciti-"

Ulquiorra then heard the girl burst into a fit of tears and he wanted to punch himself for hurting her. He hated whenever she was upset.

"Do not worry, Orihime. I am not going with them."

"Y-You aren't? Why not?"

"I am going to stay here with you."

There was another moment of silence as Ulquiorra awaited Orihime's reply. He knew she would be reluctant on separating him from his family, but he hoped he would be able to convince her.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" Orhime finally asked, breaking the sad, awkward silence around them. "I'm getting pretty tired and we have a math test tomorrow. We definitely need some sleep!"

"Only if you promise me one thing."

"What?"

"You are not allowed to cry anymore tonight."

"Deal."

With that, Ulquiorra heard the endless ring of his phone, letting him know she hung up. Closing his eyes, Ulquiorra thought once again about the situation he was in until he felt himself start to drift into slumber.

" _It isn't even 9 o'clock. But I suppose I have no other option as of now but to sleep."_

And with that, Ulquiorra tossed and turned until he eventually passed out.

* * *

Orihime woke up that morning and immediately went to her mirror to inspect herself. As she predicted, her eyes were puffy from crying last night. She could see where the tears were dried on her face. Washing her face, the girl did what she could to restore her bubbly face and then threw on her uniform. She was going to make some breakfast, but decided she wasn't hungry and began her walk to school, her mind boggled with thoughts about Ulquiorra.

" _I can't just keep him from his family. That wouldn't be right. It is going to be kinda lonely though. I'm sure long distance isn't that bad! We could still talk on the phone and stuff! Oh wait, it costs more to talk to people in another country, huh? Either way, Ulquiorra and I will be just fine!"_

Or at least that's what she told herself. Orihime knew she was only lying to herself. Long distance rarely works, and being countries apart was just impossible- especially since she knew she couldn't afford international calls every day. The girl sighed, wanting nothing more than to just turn around and go back home. Feeling a vibration in her pocket, Orihime shrugged it off, knowing it was another text from Ulquiorra. She hadn't been able to reply to his texts, for she was unsure as to what to say. While it sounded like a fairytale having him stay with her, she knew she couldn't let that happen and would eventually have to tell him to leave. Even if it meant breaking her heart in the process.

Taking a deep breath, Orihime stepped into the classroom, her stomach doing flips with each step. The girl hesitantly looked to see if Ulquiorra was there, and much to her disappointment, he was. Their eyes locked on each other for a split second before she tore her gaze away. She just couldn't look him in the eye. Guilt gnawed at her as she took her own seat rather than walking towards him as she usually did. She couldn't handle talking to him right now, especially when she didn't trust her own emotions at the moment.

"Hey, Orihime," Tatsuki said as she took a seat by the auburn-haired girl. She could immediately tell something was wrong when she didn't sit with her boyfriend. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, of course!" Orihime lied, wearing an unfaltering bright smile, though she knew it was useless. Tatsuki always knew when something was wrong.

Tatsuki rubbed the girl's head affectionately as she replied, "I'll bring the ice cream. You don't work tonight, right?" Seeing her friend nod her head, she continued, "Good! I'll be over later then!"

Ulquiorra sighed as he watched his girlfriend and her best friend talking. The boy knew that she wanted time to herself since she wasn't replying to his texts, but they needed to talk eventually. His heart shattered into pieces when she had walked in with her puffy eyes, he couldn't stand knowing she had cried last night. This whole situation was a nightmare he wanted to escape.

" _I'll give her some time today, but tomorrow she is all mine."_


End file.
